Persona: One Last Promise
by dangstaBOI
Summary: A new take on the Persona series. Kazuhiko Sukima was branded as a devil child when his parents died in a car crash that he survived. May contain appearances from previous persona games including Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5 and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. So this will be my first fanfiction published so show me some love and feel free to pop in some recommendations in the comments section. I will be including a culture festival, hot springs scene, and some minor cameo appearances from previous Persona games (mainly Persona 3, 4, and 5). With that being said, please enjoy chapter 1.**

PERSONA: ONE LAST PROMISE

Chapter 1

Nuzoko Elementary school: 1st grade section

Kazuhiko Sukima, that's my name.

My first day of school and I'm already a target for bullies. Before coming here, I thought I would be in a happy environment and welcomed by everyone. That was my first mistake; I never realized that other kids could be cruel.

"Stay away from us!"

"He'll put a curse on us if we make him mad!"

"Devil child!"

Normally, this should be a good time to tell a teacher. But I also have come to realize that grown-ups can be mean too.

"Now Kaz-kun, you wouldn't want anyone else to be hurt, right?"

"Stay the hell away from my son!"

"Don't touch me!"

This left me no friends and no support from anyone. I was an outcast from day one.

When we were let out during lunchtime, all the children stayed away from me. Some threw rocks at me if I came too close. The only refuge I ever found was a small cave that nobody wanted to go to. I tended to stay there until lunch was over. To me, that cave was my home.

The other children called my cave, "The witch's den". Some made a game out of it and went there with sticks and rocks to go hunting for witches. This started to go on for quite some time. The teachers didn't pay any attention to me when I came back to class with cuts and bruises.

This is usually the time where most kids would talk to their parents about their problems, but I never had that luxury.

My parents were dead.

When their car was found, my father was already dead and my mother was breathing her last words:

"...the devil..."

Soon after that, not a single one of my relatives would take me in. They thought I was the devil incarnate and that taking me under their roof would be the same as selling their souls to Satan. My godparents had to take care of me out of the goodness of their hearts, but they were criticized by their neighbors.

I remembered that one night, all the neighbors arrived at the front door with a priest and tried to perform exorcism on me. I was so scared that I ran away from home and was missing for 3 days.

My godparents could only take the abuse for so much that they planed on moving out to Inaba once I finished my first grade year.

Soon enough, one month before we decided to move, I was ganged up on.

May 9th, 2011

"Hey Satan!"

Not turning around, Kazuhiko already knew who the voice belonged to.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Sadly, Kazuhiko turned around to see the face of Yoshimitsu Nakagawa and his band of misfits; all of them had sturdy canes in their hands.

"You think you're gonna get away before we kill you?"

Kazuhiko cursed under his breath.

The morning announcement had alerted everyone about his departure to Inaba. He heard all the students and teachers sighs of relief when they knew that he would soon be leaving them for good.

"Well, we're here to tell you you're wrong"

Kazuhiko didn't even flinch when he was beaten; He had already been through this everyday and pain was something that he could not feel anymore.

He was eventually knocked down and was repeatedly kicked until he felt the bullies stop.

Kazuhiko thought that they were finally done beating him and began to stand up.

To his surprise, Yoshimitsu and his gang were still there, grinning evilly.

He began to walk out until Yoshimitsu walked right in front of him and swung his fist into Kazuhiko's ribcage.

"You didn't listen did you?"

Kazuhiko lifted his head up to Yoshimitsu. He began to take a few steps back and felt his broken rib.

"We did say we'd kill you, didn't we?"

Yoshimitsu began to advance while pulling a small object out of his pocket.

Kazuhiko's eyes widened and were filled with terror.

"Say hello to my new birthday present"

Yoshimitsu flipped out the blade from the handle and continued to advance.

"P-please, n-no. I never did anything to hurt you or anyone."

"You just being here is hurting everyone." Yoshimitsu began,

"Or so says the teachers and the students"

Kazuhiko turned around to run but soon felt the end of the cave.

"Nowhere to run now, devil child"

"Please! Stop! Don't hurt me!"

Yoshimitsu wouldn't listen. The knife was now inches away from Kazuhiko's throat.

"HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE! HELP ME!"

"This is no place for a devil"

The knife then cut into Kazuhiko's neck. Warm blood began to flow through the flesh wound and into the blade.

"Alright, that's enough"

Kazuhiko's eyes began to open and saw a figure at the front of the cave.

"That is crossing the line. In fact, you already crossed the line when you beat him on the first day"

Yoshimitsu stopped and turned around to see the face of the unknown savior.

"Oh come on! You of all people should be killing him. Your mom was killed by that cult"

Kazuhiko mind began to race. Who was in his class that had a dead mother?

The figure ran towards Yoshimitsu, grabbed his hand and twisted it around his back while slamming him into the cave wall.

"And you think it's a good idea to go killing someone that hasn't done anything wrong?"

Yoshimitsu's gang began to rush the figure and all were put down with a barrage of kicks and punches dealt by the figure.

Kazuhiko finally realized who his savior was. He sat down on the ground and began to cry.

"Hey, don't cry"

Kazuhiko looked up again and saw the figure extend a hand to help him up.

"Sorry I didn't help you before. Your name's Kazuhiko right?"

Kazuhiko slowly nodded and grabbed the student's hand.

"Nice name. Did anyone ever call you Kaz-kun before?"

Kazuhiko shook his head and looked at the person in disbelief.

For the first time in his life, Kazuhiko was shown kindness from a fellow classmate; it was a strange feeling, he felt like anyone could beat him and he would still have a smile on his face.

"Well, you won't mind if I call you Kaz-kun right?"

Kazuhiko, once again, shook his head. This time, he was no longer crying.

"Alright then Kaz-kun! Well, it's only fair if I tell you my name"

"Don't worry, I already know your name"

The first time Kazuhiko spoke to anyone in his class, he felt a small smile appear on his face.

"It's Johei Shiroka, right?"

"Yep! That's right!"

Kazuhiko then leaned on Johei's shoulder while walking out of the cave before he heard a small voice in his head,

 _I art thou, thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall become the power to rise from despair_

 _I present to thee, the Magician Arcana_

 **So, how did you guys think of that? Please review; any suggestions are welcome. In the next chapter, one of the best social links in Persona 4 will appear.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Just to tell you that because Summer is upon us, it doesn't mean I will upload frequently. Maybe once every 3 weeks but the line is drawn at one and a half months. Please review and share with others. I plan to make this fanfic my initiation and have many other ideas that I will be willing to make for everyone. With that being said, please enjoy chapter 2!**

 **CHAPTER 2**

Back to Nuzoko

 _August 7, 2021_

Taking in sharp breaths, Kazuhiko opened his eyes.

He was in his room. As much as he would deny it, he would certainly miss his old house in Inaba. The people, the sights, everything had become his ideal world. He would certainly miss the school (although some teachers will be left unnamed), he would miss the owner of Aiya's (he never quite got the hang of the beef bowl challenge), but he would miss his childhood friend the most.

As soon as Kazuhiko thought that, his phone began to immediately ring. He lazily rolled onto his side and checked the caller ID.

"Just thinking of the devil..."

Kazuhiko began to sit up and answered his call.

"Hey, hey! Today's the big day!"

"Yeah, I know. Hard to believe I'm going back already."

Kazuhiko smiled to himself. He knew the brown haired girl very well and both saw each other only as friends, but that never stopped his heart from skipping a beat when he heard her cheerful demeanor.

"I'll meet you at Junes! Everyone's planning a goodbye party for you!"

"Really? Great! I'll be there as soon as I can."

Kazuhiko hung up and walked to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and wasn't surprised to see his slightly long jet black hair all over the place.

"Geez, I really need to wear a beanie to sleep"

He then remembered his dream about Johei as he paused and spaced out for sometime.

"How come I never remembered anything about him when I left?"

Shaking his head, Kazuhiko swiped a hand through his hair while grabbing a toothbrush. Once he finished his morning routine, he went to his step-parents room to find that they were still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb them, Kazuhiko left a note and walked out the door to the Junes market.

Meanwhile…

"Are you sure he said he was coming?"

"Of course he is! He told me so!"

"Hate to use some of the inventory for nothing..."

"I used some top-notch yarn for this..."

"Guys, it'll be just like when I left Inaba. Besides, his train doesn't leave until 4 in the afternoon."

A young blond haired man sighed as he remembered his friend leaving 9 years ago. Everything happened so fast: after the manager's son left, he was to take charge. Not like he didn't want to though. He loved Junes the moment he set his foot in.

"It's been quite a while since you guys found me reclining in that massage chair..."

A gray-haired individual nodded and smiled lightly, remembering when the current manager was just a pervy teenage part-timer, always working near the women's swim-wear section.

"Yeah, I remember that day… or rather, 'remembeared'"

"Oh, shut up! I don't need to hear more puns from you!"

A brown haired man glared at the gray-haired man, obviously looking as if he heard the joke for years. He wore a bright orange T-shirt and a pair of headphones were hanging on his neck.

"Come on, you have to admit that was kind of clever"

"Shut up, bear!"

Headphones yelled at the manager and threatened to noogie him until he went bald.

"Guys, quite fighting already! Save your hatred for later."

A woman with bobbed chestnut hair and a police officer's uniform pulled the manager and Headphones apart.

"I'm glad I don't have this trouble at the inn..."

A woman with long black hair tied up in a bun watched the Headphones and the officer argue like an old married couple.

"An old married couple? Those two?! Hahahahahaha!"

"Oh boy, here we go..."

The black-haired woman began to laugh uncontrollably as the gray-haired man began to droop.

"Hey everyone! He's here!"

The only teenager in the group pointed at the elevator as Kazuhiko walked out to the food court.

"Hey bestie! How's it going?"

The brown-haired teen tackled Kazuhiko in a hug and eventually brought him to the table.

"Kaz-kun! It's been a while."

"Hey, have a seat little man!"

"We got enough food for everyone so dig in!"

"All payed by this guy's credit card!"

"I'm still going to get you guys for this you know..."

Kazuhiko sat at the table and enjoyed the company he had in Inaba. Who knew that ten years had passed by so quickly and he'd have to say goodbye to all these wonderful people?

"Hey, hurry up and open up your presents already!"

Kazuhiko nodded as he reached for a gift that looked like it came from the textile shop. Inside, he found a pink stuffed alligator that looked like it was knitted by an expert. Next came a pair of sweatbands, a blue yukata that fit him perfectly, a pair of awesome headphones, an autographed photo of Risette, a pair of stylish glasses, a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, and strangely, a box full of panties.

"Hey! Aren't some of those mine?"

"Yeah! Mine are in there too!"

"Well… this is awkward"

The manager began to haul ass while the police officer and the lady in the kimono began to chase him through the department store.

"Manager Teddie's same as always..."

The gray-haired man sighed and smiled at Kazuhiko.

"Yes. He was always like that ever since he learned what 'scoring' meant. Then again, Yosuke here was even worse."

"Hey! I was not!"

"You brought bathing suits for those two on our camping trip together, dude. I'd say that would be pretty bad."

The mountain directed his comment to Headphones as he avoided looking at the box of lacey unmentionables.

"At least I can stand to see a girl in a bikini and not get a nosebleed, Kanji."

"The hell did you just say?!"

Kanji picked up Yosuke by the collar and shook him.

"Thank you for your gift Mr. Tatsumi! It looks like your gift was crafted with expert hands!"

Kanji turned to Kazuhiko and flashed a bright smile.

"Thanks. You know you don't have to keep calling me Mr. Tatsumi you know?"

"Kanji-kun is so cool! He learned how to knit when he was a kid!"

The high-schooler beamed at Kazuhiko telling him how she learned how to knit.

"I even had after school lessons with him! He was such a good teacher! I'm not as good as him so I didn't want to knit you a gift for today."

The two continued to talk until the gray-haired man decided to tease them a bit.

"Nanako-chan, are you sure you two aren't dating?"

At that second, both Nanako and Kazuhiko turned bright red.

"Ah! No! We're not dating! we're just friends!"

Nanako ran to her so-called 'big bro' and slapped him on the butt.

"Ow! Okay Nanako-chan, I believe you!"

Kazuhiko couldn't help but laugh. Even though they weren't family, everyone acted as though they were related to each other. He would definitely miss them all when he left.

They day went by fast and it was already time to leave. Everyone gathered at the station to see Kazuhiko off.

"Hey, Kazuhiko."

Kaz turned around to look at Nanako who was slightly blushing.

"Oh, what's up?"

Kaz felt as if something big was about to happen as he took off his headphones and looked Nanako in the eyes. Nanako, for some reason, was trying to not make eye contact with Kaz.

"Remember the time that I asked you if you loved me?"

Kaz immediately felt horrible and looked at the ground.

 _Flashback: June 17, 2021_

"Hey, Kaz! So I was wondering if you want to go out to Aiya's with me!"

"Oh, sure! I'd love to!"

Nanako felt relieved and couldn't stop the excitement that was threatening to burst out of her. Today, she would tell him; Today was the day.

"Great! Last one there pays for the food!"

"Wait, what? No way!"

Nanako ran out of the classroom of Yasogami High grinning like a madwoman. It had started to rain and that meant the special challenge was on. 3000 yen was payment if you didn't finish it before it got cold and she was not going to bust her wallet for the beef bowl.

Nanako was soon at the home stretch and stopped right in front of Aiya's.

"Hah! Looks like you're paying for my beef bowl!"

"What're you talking about? I was here first."

Nanako turned around in shock as she saw Kazuhiko inside the restaurant sitting at a table for two and ordering a beef bowl.

"How did you get here before I did!?"

"I have my ways..."

Kaz smiled mischievously as he beckoned her to sit across from him.

"Don't worry, I'll pay for your meal too. I just got a raise from my job at the hospital so the sky's the limit! That is unless you decide to eat your weight in fried rice."

Nanako slightly blushed. The last time she was here, she ended up eating plates of fried rice only to stop when she found out she couldn't pay for it. Luckily, Kazuhiko stopped by and agreed to pay for her food.

"Yeah, good times."

As expected, neither of them finished their beef bowls, although Kaz almost saw the rice at the bottom. Kaz forked over 6000 yen to the owner and walked outside with Nanako.

"Hey, can we… go to the shrine real quick?"

"Huh? How come?"

Nanako cursed inwardly. She needed to get him to an empty place to ask him. She quickly thought of an excuse.

"Uh, I wanted to, um… drop off something for...the...fox?"

Nanako felt really embarrassed. Going to the shrine to give the fox something; that was a new one and an all time low for her.

"Oh, okay. Sure! Let's go. That fox could use a little something for its good deeds."

After a short walk to the shrine, Nanako took out a bag with some of the leftover beef bowl and gave it to the fox who happily accepted it.

"Listen, I know we've been friends for a long time."

Kaz turned to Nanako, now with a new interest in their conversation.

"I just want to know if… if you have any feelings… towards any girls."

Kaz then realized what she was trying to say. Quickly, he turned around and blushed furiously.

"She really likes me?" he thought.

"Well, no. Not really. I mean, I'm friends with a lot of girls but not romantically involved."

"Oh, that's nice"

Nanako had never felt this way before. She hadn't even felt like this when she told her big bro that she wanted to marry him. Come to think of it, didn't her father give big bro a death glare when she said that?

"I… I just wanted to say… I don't have feelings for a lot of guys either."

Kaz began to sweat. Nanako was really going to confess.

"Oh crap, she's really going for it! What should I do? Her dad's going to arrest me if he finds out I'm dating her! He'll probably kill me if I rejected her! What should I do?" Kaz thought to himself

"I… I was thinking… if you had any interest in..."

Nanako stopped short.

"That's it! I can't do this to my best friend! I can't make him have to decide!" Nanako thought.

"Nanako… listen."

"Oh, no… he doesn't like me" Nanako thought.

"We've been friends for a long time, but soon, I'm going to go back to Nuzoko. I don't want to make a relationship just when I'm going to leave soon."

Nanako nodded sadly. Her attempt had failed.

"Don't get me wrong… If things were different then I would have been the one to confess to you… but now, I don't want to fall in love with you and be away from you for the rest of my life. This is the best way I know to not break your heart."

Nanako stared at Kaz, amazed at how he really did care for her. She was wrong to think her attempt failed.

"Don't worry. It was my fault anyway. I should have confessed earlier."

Tears began to well up in Nanako's eyes as she couldn't bear to see her friend go because of her cowardness.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. You'll always have a special place in my heart. I'm not leaving forever. I'll come to visit once I can stay by myself. Heck, I'll even move here."

"But after all that time we'll still be best friends. I'll wait for you to come back. I'll always love you too."

 _Present day_

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Then please tell me… that we'll always stay friends. "

Kaz didn't expect that. He thought that Nanako would have hopped right on the train with him or try to kidnap him. She did tend to do outrageous things that might be from Narukami-san's side of the family.

"And… if you do come back and… you're still single… do you think that we could..."

Kaz decided that now would be the time to end things before they got any more awkward.

"I will tell you one thing Nanako..."

Nanako's eyes began to lightt up until…

"For a girl, you have some huge balls."

At first Nanako looked confused, then she slowly digested what Kaz just said and then smacked him in the head with a book in her bag. That book happened to be a hard-cover copy of War and Peace.

"You jerk!" Nanako put the book back in her bag and began to pout.

"I was trying to make this seem romantic!"

Kaz was still a bit dazed and was convinced that he had lost a few brain cells. Stupid Leo Tolstoy. But even he had to smile when he saw Nanako's pouty face.

Then he did the last thing Nanako would have expected: He moved in close and kissed her.

The entire encounter lasted about five seconds, but Nanako was in such a shock, It could have lasted for an hour.

"I did tell you that you always had a special place in my heart."

Kaz and Nanako decided to go back to the group where a very amused group of adults were looking at them.

"Sooooooooooooo…" Teddie started off

"Will a wedding be in the near future?"

"Shut up, Yosuke."

"What? I'm just curious!"

"… Nanako, may I borrow Tolstoy for a moment?"

 _*clonk*_

"OW! Dude, what the hell?!"

"...I should probably bring my Tolkien anthology with me more often"

The train arrived just as Yu handed Nanako back her book. Kaz began to pick up his bags but Kanji insisted that he would carry his bags for him all alone. Something about manliness, or because Detective Naoto was just there. Those two always seemed to be close…

Kaz felt his steps getting heavier as he put his feet on the train and grabbed a seat near the window. Suddenly he heard knocking on the window. He opened it to find that Yu wanted to talk to him.

"Uh, just to be clear, I didn't actually break her heart sooo..."

"Oh don't worry. I'm just here to give you two my blessing. Have fun you kids."

"AH! Big bro! Don't make fun of me like that!"

Nanako then threatened Yu with the power of literature until she calmed down. The train began to move and before he knew it, Nanako was running alongside the train to tell him any last minute words.

"Remember to write often bestie!"

Kazuhiko then opened up the window to hold Nanako's hand

"I will! I love you!"

Finally, he let go of her hand and sat back down.

 _Back on the platform_

Yu Narukami looked at Nanako while she run beside the train.

"Funny, I somehow feel like this has happened before."

Kanji noticed too.

"Yeah, dude. It was just like when you left."

Yu smiled as he remembered the past. How he left and his friends ran beside the train to say last minute goodbyes; how Teddie fell off the…

"Oh shit! Nanako! Watch out for the..."

* _trip_ *

"...edge of the platform"

* _bonk_ *

"I'm okay!"

Everyone sighed as they walked to the edge of the platform.

"Scary resemblance"

"Guys, if Dojima asks, don't tell him."

 **Thanks for reading this fanfiction! Please give me reviews and any questions you may want answered. I don't plan on making Nanako a large character in this, but just for the sake of a cameo appearance. If there is anything or anyone you want to add in this fanfiction, feel free to leave it in the comments. The next chapter will get back to the main story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm don't have anymore comments except that I'm going to add a little mini story section that features interviews with characters. Enjoy chapter 3!**

 **CHAPTER 3**

The Velvet Room; Remembrance

" _We won't be able to look out for you for the year"_

" _We have business back in Tokyo so make sure you behave"_

" _Don't worry. I'll make myself comfy."_

Kazuhiko remembered the conversation he had with his god-parents and was still saddened at how he would have to live the year back at Nuzoko without any familiar faces. He couldn't remember very much at his last month in Nuzoko, but he could draw the conclusion that he and Johei had been out of touch.

"I wonder if he still lives there."

Hopefully, nobody there will remember him as the demon child. It had been a long time ago when he left, but he still could be bullied just as easily.

Before he knew it, he began to feel drowsy and closed his eyes.

"So, this is the new guest?"

"Indeed. Why do you ask?"

"He looks quite young… and like a loser"

"All guests are at that current age. As for your comment about his appearance, please do not say that to him directly."

"You have to admit, he does look like a shrimp"

Kazuhiko opened his eyes to find himself in a courtroom. An old man with a long nose was sitting in the judge's chair with a gray-haired woman standing next to him.

"Welcome to the Velvet room"

Kazuhiko stared at the old man as he talked. Never before had he seen a sight as frightening as him. The bulging eyes that seemed to staring right at his soul as the long nose looked comical and strangely sharp; as if he could stab someone with the nose.

"My name is Igor, and this is my assistant, Alexandria. We are honored to make your acquaintance"

"As my master has said, my name is Alexandria. We are here to observe the progress of your journey"

 _Journey?,_ Kazuhiko thought, _If they're here to see my journey to Nuzoko then they'll be really dissappointed._

"This place exists between mind and matter; dream and reality. Only those bound by a contract may enter here."

 _Contract? I never signed anything that included this weirdness. I definitely never seen either of you before._

"Why don't you introduce yourself? We shall see each other more often in the future"

 _Should I really? I mean, I shouldn't judge, but I can't even look you in the eyes right now._

Kazuhiko seemed very confused. All this was most likely a dream and he was either going crazy, or he had smoked something that would probably make him feel stoned for the rest of the day. As if reading his thoughts, Igor chuckled creepily.

"Do not worry, you are not losing your mind. This is all happening; you are fast asleep in the real world."

 _And that's supposed to make me at ease?_

This time, Alexandria spoke.

"All that we ask, is that you take responsibility for your actions, no matter how small."

 _That doesn't seem that bad._ Kazuhiko thought for a moment and nodded. A piece of paper and pen were handed to him. After signing the paper, both items disappeared.

"Very well then."

Igor smiled as he continued.

"We shall meet in the near future"

With that, Kazuhiko began to close his eyes and was no longer in the velvet room.

"Hey! Hey mister!"

Kazuhiko opened his eyes when he looked at a young child about six years old.

"This is your stop, right?"

Kazuhiko then looked at the display and saw that Nuzoko station was the next stop.

"Yeah. This is my stop. Thanks, kid"

Kazuhiko began to pick up his stuff and moved towards the sliding doors that were about to open. He looked at his cellphone. He left some reminders and notes on where his living accommodations would be so he opened them up.

"Excuse me, officer. Could you tell me where I can find the Matsuhito hotel?"

The officer turned to Kazuhiko and showed him the directions.

"Yeah, sure. It's down that street and then you'll take a right. After two blocks, It should be on your left. You new around here or something?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Well, be careful around here. It may look nice, but there are a bunch of gangs here looking for potential recruits. Be best if you head there straight away. And make sure not to make eye contact with any of those thugs; one wrong look and you could be drinking broth for a week"

"Thank you, officer. I'll remember that"

Kazuhiko began walking and turned around the lamp post. He immediately found a bunch of people sporting scars and holding bags of baseball bats.

"Hey! Dude with the black hair and uniform!"

Kazuhiko began to walk faster and looked straight ahead.

"Hey! Hold up! I just want to talk!"

Kazuhiko then began to run to the hotel until he was right at the door. He pulled on the handles of the door but they wouldn't budge.

"Shit!"

With no other choice, Kazuhiko turned around to face his follower until he was convinced that he had seen the face before.

"Are you, Kaz-kun?"

The person before him was a high school student with chestnut medium length hair that was swept to the side and showed his eyes. He was about 5'8" and had a buff yet slim build that would have made him a good asset to a Kendo team. All in all, he looked like a normal guy. But for some reason, Kazuhiko felt as if he had seen him before.

"Y-yes. How do you know my name?"

The boy smiled and chuckled while Kazuhiko seemed as confused as ever.

"So, you really don't remember me huh?"

Kazuhiko tried hard to remember who the boy was. It couldn't be a former teacher of his. Yoshimitsu would never treat him with this much familiarity. So then…

"Wait, don't tell me..."

The chestnut haired boy slowly nodded.

"Yeah, that's it, keep going..."

"Johei?"

The boy pumped his fist in the air with a look of triumph on his face.

"Yeah! That's it! Right on the money!"

"Damn, dude! You look different!"

"I could say the same thing for you too! Last time I saw you, your arms looked as stiff as uncooked ramen noodles!"

Kazuhiko fondly remembered when he looked like a shrimp. Over the years, he did work out and was successful at gaining some respectable biceps, but he still was somewhat scrawny.

"This place changed so much, I'm surprised that you found your way to the hotel!"

"Oh, I just asked a police officer for directions. Nothing much."

The two were busy talking to each other, they didn't notice someone stepping out of the hotel.

"Excuse me, but are you Kazuhiko Sukima?"

Kazuhiko turned around and saw a young girl in a secretary's uniform who looked about his age. She was holding a clipboard and a pen behind her ear. Her long dark brown hair was brushed behind her back and her eyes were blue.

"Oh, sorry for holding you up! Kaz, this is Mikan Echihiro. Mika-senpai, this is Kazuhiko, an old friend of mine that moved back here after 10 years in Inaba."

Kazuhiko looked at Mikan and smiled as he held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mikan. I take it that you work part time here?"

Mikan smiled slightly and took his hand.

"Correct. I also attend the local high school. I'm a third year."

"So, I'm guessing that makes you my senpai, then?"

"Correct, once again"

They stopped shaking hands and looked at Johei.

"Well, I'm going home. Senpai, make sure to help him find his way to school. He hasn't been around in quite a while so look out for him."

And with that, Johei walked off. Kazuhiko picked up his stuff and walked into the hotel with Mikan next to him.

"Your parents called in to make sure that you arrived safely. Don't worry, I told them that you were at the front steps."

"A never knew that this place made it big."

Kazuhiko looked around the foyer. There was a rather elegant living room where he saw a group of family members chatting while making plans for dinner. A hallway to the dining area showed many residents at tables and the scents of delicious food.

"You may choose to dine here or have room service bring your food to your room if you wish"

Mikan then led Kazuhiko to the check-in desk where she told him to sign a paper holding him responsible for any damages that he would cause to his room and his room key.

"Room 32 will be on the third floor to the left corridor. We'll have dinner up for you when you request it."

"Alright. Thanks Mika-Senpai."

Mikan nodded to Kazuhiko and went to welcome other guests.

"I thought I told you to not come here. You disrupt the guests and your antics are unacceptable!"

Kazuhiko looked behind him and saw two tough-looking men talking with Mikan.

"Come on, girl. How could we possibly stay away when you look bomb as always. We can't just let that beauty go to waste."

"Leave right now or I'll call security"

"Let them come. They don't stand a chance against or gang!"

Mikan took a few steps back and reached for the phone until one of the men grabbed ahold of her arm.

"You try to call them, and I'll make your face so god damned jacked up that nobody would dare look you in the eye."

Families in the foyer now began to make their way to the elevators. Pretty soon, there was nobody else near the front desk besides the thugs and Mikan.

"So, what's it gonna be, pretty lady?"

At that comment, Mikan twisted the man's arm and forced him to let go of her.

"OW! I'll fucking kill you, bitch!"

The accompanying gang member moved towards Mikan while wrapping chains around his fist.

"You're gonna pay for that, you broad!"

As the man swung his fist, Kazuhiko knew that he had to do something to stop the fist. He could have used anything as a shield; He could have blocked the fist with his own hand. But of all the things he could have used to protect Mikan, he acted like a dumb ass, and used his face.

"The hell?"

On contact, Kazuhiko didn't feel all that bad. He did feel a bit dizzy from the blow to the face and reminded himself to never use a head-butt in a fight. Blood began to stream down his face where the chain had ripped his skin.

"So your this chick's boyfriend, huh?"

Kazuhiko then began to realize what a bad idea he had.

"What? No, I'm just a passerb-"

Kazuhiko suddenly stopped and got punched in the ribs by the man. He heard a crack and felt a flaming pain from his ribcage.

"You gettin' in the way of our business? This'll teach you!"

An endless barrage of punches were sent to Kazuhiko's broken ribcage to the point where he felt that he couldn't breath.

"Gentlemen, I believe that you have done enough."

Kazuhiko turned his head to see the policeman that gave him directions, who was backed up with other officers all wielding batons. Mikan at his side with a phone.

 _Did she call the police on these guys? Damnit, now I can't beat these guys up and look cool in front of her._

"Can you stand? I'll call for an ambulance"

Mikan had shown up at his side and attempted to help Kazuhiko sit up, but failed. Black spots began to dance before his eyes as Kazuhiko fought to stay conscious.

A few minutes later, an ambulance drove up to the hotel and moved him onto a cart. Mikan, insisting that she rode with him, stepped into the ambulance as well. They were left alone in the back of the vehicle with Mikan looking down on Kazuhiko's face.

"You know..."

 _Wait, is she going to thank me for what I did for her? Hell yeah! Maybe getting beat up for her sake was worth it!_

"You're incredibly stupid for doing that!"

 _Or she'll chew me out for my heroic deed of protecting her with my face. Yep! That definitely makes up for my broken nose and ribs._

"Still. I should thank you for what you did back there. I swear, whatever I do, others just end up getting hurt."

"That's alright. A lot of people think I have a very… punchable face."

Mikan chuckled slightly at the tasteless joke that Kazuhiko made and suddenly grew serious once again.

"No. It's my job to make sure that you're safe. I'm already failing at that again."

"Again?"

Kazuhiko wanted to ask more about the matter but was abruptly cut off.

"Excuse me. We're here. We'll need to take him in now for x-ray scans."

"Oh, alright. I'll see you soon Sukima-san."

As soon as she said that, Kazuhiko sight began to slow down. He began to hear a faint voice that was accompanied by a card that appeared in front of his face.

 _Oh crap, this again_ Kazuhiko thought.

 _I art thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall become the power to smite those who try to corrupt thee with despair_

 _I present to thee, the Empress Arcana._

Persona: One Last Promise

Interview with Kazuhiko Sukima

Dangstaboy: Hey Kazuhiko! Welcome to the after show where certain members of this fanfiction are interviewed! I'm your creator.

Kazuhiko: Am I having one of those dreams again? Great, first I talk to a man with a freakishly long and sharp nose, now I'm on a low-budget talkshow.

Dangstaboy: Well, I will admit that the studio isn't very upscale, but come on. On to the first question! In chapter 2, you kissed Nanako. Now in chapter 3, you tried to impress Mikan by protecting her. What are you, some type of manwhore?

Kazuhiko: Wait, how did you know about Nanako? Second, I don't think you were in the hotel.

Dangstaboy: Just answer the question. Who are you going for? Your bestie from the boonies or your new senpai that works at the hotel you live in?

Kazuhiko: I mean, I've known Nanako for years and we're best friends! I can't do that to Nanako.

Dangstaboy: It will happen if the fans will it to. I'm writing this entire fanfiction so whatever happens is because I will it to. Audience! Who do you think Kazuhiko here should date?

Kazuhiko: Wait, what do you mean you're the creator in this fanfiction? I make my own decisions. Am I really just fake?

Dangstaboy: JK dude. I'll try to make your future entertaining but, you'll live. Next question! How did you come to meet the cast of Persona 4?

Kazuhiko: (IF this is a dream, might as well play along) You mean Nanako's friends? Well, Nanako saw me on the playground by myself and asked who I was. I was surprised that nobody had heard of my demon child rumors that we instantly became friends. One thing led to another and I met her friends; Yosuke-san, Officer Satonaka, Mistress Amagi, Mister Tatsumi, Teddie, Detective Shirogane and lastly, her "big bro"

Dangstaboy: Alright! Couldn't have said it better myself. Or could I? Anyways, We're at our final question. What would you think if I told you that you weren't the only one who had dreams about the Velvet Room? On top of that, Narukami had the same problem as you.

Kazuhiko: Wait, Narukami-san experienced that before? So, I'm not crazy?

Dangstaboy: Don't worry, you're still sane. The velvet room is supposed to help you on your future journey. You can use it to buy and fuse monsters to make some pretty weird shit, like Mara over here.

Mara: You know what? F*ck you. I'm perfectly fine with how I look. You only wish your dick was as big as I am.

Dangstaboy: And that's enough talking with the giant douche bag of a penis. I think I've said enough about what your future holds so that's a wrap on this interview. You won't remember any part of this.

Kazuhiko: I definitely do not want to remember that… thing. Just send me back; I'm tired of all this already.

Mara: Oh yeah? Well this "thing" has better chances of getting laid than you do. You better watch your back when you fuse me in the velvet room.

 **So, how did it go? As always, please review. I will take some suggestions on who you want to interview and what questions you want to ask them. Thanks guys! I'll also make short stories for after the main story. It turns out that I'll have more free time than I thought so I'll post a new chapter every 1 or 2 weeks.**


	4. Chapter 4

**And now, back to some more Persona! Please review, I really want to make this a better fan fiction so add some more suggestions.**

 **CHAPTER 4**

Kyuto High; The Suicide

 _August 8, 2021_

 _Nuzoko Hospital, Patient Room_

 _9:47 PM_

"Good news Mr. Sukima! You'll be able to go to school tomorrow. You won't join any sports or extracurricular activities because your ribs are still mending, so keep that in mind."

The nurse in the room smiled at Kazuhiko and left him alone to sleep.

"First day in and I've already cause some trouble, huh?" Kazuhiko thought.

He laid back on the hospital bed. His step-parents called earlier to make sure that he was okay and thankfully weren't angry. He was thankful that insurance would pay for his injuries and that he could go to school tomorrow, but that card thing had been bothering him.

"Empress arcana… What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head. When he came into the hospital, the doctor took all his belongings in his pockets and stored them for safe keeping, so now he couldn't look it up. Just thinking about that experience happening to him again was enough to give him a headache. He soon decided that trying to figure out what happened would just egg at him all night and decided to go to sleep.

 _Meanwhile, in the Velvet Room…_

"Strange how he has acquired those bonds so quickly"

Igor was staring upon the scene that had happened recently: Kazuhiko had formed a bond with Mikan Echihiro.

"Master, if I may be allowed to ask" Alexandria started.

"Yes, go on" Igor answered.

"The previous guests of the velvet room only formed bonds prior the events of awakening their own persona."

Igor turned to his assistant, noticing that she had become more perceptive.

"But, for some reason, the current guest has no possession of a Persona yet he has formed a bond"

Igor chuckled to himself. Alexandria's awareness had become sharper, but she still had much to learn.

"You are correct on one of those statements." Igor told her.

Alexandria looked confused, but then her eyes dawned to the realization.

"Master Igor… you couldn't possibly mean-"

"You start to see now, do you not? He already has a Persona."

Igor now turned his gaze back to the present time. Kazuhiko was fast asleep in the hospital bed while the nurses were rushing outside in the hallways.

"Never have I seen a guest with such power and potential. Of course, his Persona is weak right now, but he hasn't utilized it yet. The time will come when he must break the chains that imprison him. For now, we shall watch."

Alexandria wore a mask of impatience, but stood by her master's side.

"Understood, Master. It's just that I figured after all my training, I would be rewarded with a powerful guest that would surpass all the previous guests."

Igor smiled lightly.

"Do not worry. I did say he was powerful. Perhaps, he might be even more powerful than we could possibly imagine"

 _August 9, 2021_

 _Kyuto High, Main Building_

 _7:13 AM_

 **Mikan Echihiro's Point of View**

"So, the administration office is at the end of the hall over there. You'll be assigned a room and be welcomed to your classmates. You think you can handle that?"

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Mika-senpai."

Mikan nodded to Kazuhiko and walked to the stairs until she reached the third floor.

"Morning, Mika-chan!"

"Looking good as always, Mikan!"

"Get lost, dude! I was going to talk to her!"

Mikan waved and smiled to her fellow classmates as she walked down to classroom C-3, Mrs. Yuko's classroom.

"Ah! Good morning, Mika-chan! How was your break?" Mrs. Yuko asked.

"It was great, thanks! I was just leading a new student to the administration office."

Mrs. Yuko smiled. Last year, Mikan had been an honor student in her classroom. Mrs. Yuko, being her teacher, was noticed for her efforts and was praised with a teacher of the year award as well as a well needed raise.

"It's good to see you being so helpful! Who's the new student?"

"Oh, he's an underclassman. Apparently, he transferred from Inaba and arrived at the hotel yesterday."

Mikan then recalled the events last night and some of the cheerfulness died in her eyes. Mrs. Yuko took note of this and decided to press her.

"Did something happen yesterday? I'm open if you need to talk about it."

Mikan considered the decision. True, her talking about her problems would help, but that would drag some unwanted attention to Kazuhiko-san. She already had a bunch of third-years that had a crush on her, but when news spread that Kazuhiko had protected her, his upperclassmen might not make his experience easy for him.

In the end, Mikan faked a smile and politely declined.

"Well, alright. If you change your mind, I'll be available in the teacher's lounge."

 **Kazuhiko Sukima's Point of View**

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

 _7:32 AM_

"Class, I'd like you all to welcome a new transfer student. Go ahead, son. Tell them something about yourself."

Kazuhiko faced the rest of the class. He estimated about 25 students all-in-all but only recognized Johei among them. His name was written on the chalkboard behind him and his teacher, Mr. Ozuma, stood next to him. He was a rather plump man with a few strands of hair on his head. But what he lacked in appearance, he made up with his strict outlook on teaching.

"Hello, my name is Kazuhiko Sukima. I hope I can fit along well with everyone here."

A couple students began to mutter amongst themselves.

"Is it true that he came her with Mikan-senpai?"

"Already scored with her? Damn, he's lucky."

"A transfer student and he's not available? Today rally isn't my day."

Mr. Ozuma let them talk for a little while longer until he start to hit his book on the table to get their attention.

"Alright! That's enough chatter. Sit over there. You won't be easily distracted there, but prove me wrong and I'll make you sit right in front of my desk."

Kazuhiko sighed as he walked down the row to his new seat. It had a window view, but he wasn't close enough to talk to Johei. The students near him either gave him an angry glare or payed him no mind.

"I'd like everyone to open their notebooks and write down their schedule. This small piece of paper is the only one you'll get, so if you lose it you'll have to guess which classes you have next."

Everyone in the class opened up their notebooks and wrote down their schedules as if they were used to the instruction. Then they continued on with the lecture until class ended.

"Will all teachers report to the Teachers Lounge. This meeting is mandatory. All students wait until you are dismissed by your teachers upon their return"

The loudspeaker sounded right after the final bell had rang, causing a bunch of students to groan.

"Alright, you heard the PA. No one leaves until I come back. You leave, and there will be hell for you when you come back tomorrow! I'll try to come back as soon as I can."

With that being said, Mr. Ozuma walked out of the classroom. A bunch of students, deciding that there wasn't anything better to do, got out of their seats and talked with one another. One of those students was Johei.

"So, rumors are going around that you walked up to school with Mika-senpai."

Kazuhiko sighed. It had been the seventh time that someone had told him that. He was getting tired of answering questions.

"No, we're not dating."

Johei smiled lightly and pulled up a chair to sit next to Kazuhiko.

"Hey, I was just kidding. Although, now that you mention it, she is kind of nice. I usually never see her other than a big sister. As for my taste in women..."

Johei bravely walked up to a female classmate and tried to start a conversation.

"So, class representative this year, huh Noriko-chan?" Johei asked

The girl smiled.

"Yeah! I must admit, it surprised me too."

Johei continued with his mission of striking gold. There was no turning back now!

"Really? Well, they must have chosen the most gorgeous girl in class to be class representative. You are the face of the female half of Kyuto's second years."

The girl, Noriko, quickly looked annoyed and countered to his comment.

"Well thank God you aren't the male representative. People would think that Kyuto's Male half is full of perverts like you."

Johei flinched as a bunch of male students nearby whispered amongst themselves.

"Damn, he got burned pretty good."

"The Female class representative did that? What a roast master"

"Talk about a Femme-Fatal"

Johei walked back to Kazuhiko's desk with a look of defeat. He slumped into the seat looking to his former friend for any words of consolation.

 _He just got rejected so his emotions must be pretty touchy right now._ Kazuhiko thought

 _I should judge my word carefully as to not shoot him down. What to say? What to say?_

"How many times has that happened? 9, 10 times?"

Johei flinched again at Kazuhi.

"Dude, how is that helpful?"

 _Oh crap! I didn't mean to say that! How about this?_

"Maybe you should aim for girls at your level"

"That's even worse the the last comment!"

 _Many attempts later…_

"Maybe you shouldn't give me any words of consolation. I feel like killing myself right now"

 _And this is the result of my shitty understanding. Good to know._ Kazuhiko thought.

Right at that moment, Mr. Ozuma walked into the classroom.

"Alright, everyone. You're free to go. Make sure not to take detours home; I'm sure your parents are want you back after this long."

Johei stood up and picked up his bag.

"Come on. Let's go meet up with Mika-senpai and walk home together. The place I live at dooesn't care as long as I get back by curfew so we can hang out a little before it gets dark."

Kazuhiko nodded and followed Johei out the door and to the front gates of the school until they met up with Mikan.

"We're all set! So, should we go to Shigure's? I'm in the mood for some of their fried rice!" Johei stated.

This remark was enough to make everyone else feel hungry. Mikan spoke up

"I have enough time to make a stop there. It's on the way home for me. Besides, I can pay for myself."

At the mention of money, Kazuhiko cursed. He came to Nuzoko without any money for himself to spend on.

"Sorry guys, but I don't have any yen. I'll just walk home. Have a good time you two."

Kazuhiko started to walk to the subway but Johei grabbed the back of his uniform.

"Hold on, man! I'll pay for you. I've got enough money on me to feed a family of four."

The three walked down to Shigure's and ordered for the special rice platter while they waited outside. A waiter came by with a pitcher of iced water and three glasses.

"A toast to Kazuhiko! My old friend has finally returned!"

Kazuhiko looked over to Mikan who smiled back as she raised her glass.

"Cheers! To a new school year and friend!"

Their rice platters had arrived and everyone quickly tried to finish them.

 _The mixture of rice, vegetables and meat is enough to make even the world hunger epidemic full. I'd have better luck with the beef bowl special back in Inaba… Maybe Nanako could finish this…_

In the end, everyone couldn't finish and had to get takeout boxes.

"Boy am I stuffed! I think I might have made some progress."

Mikan, despite her eating speed, was the one who made the most difference in her rice platter.

"So close, but we still have to pay full price? I probably shouldn't try this any time soon."

The three walked out and decided to take the shortcut through the city streets to get to the subway.

"So, what do you think the teachers were having a meeting for? They never have mandatory meetings at the beginning of the school year."

That was true. Even in Inaba, there were rarely any meetings between teachers, although Kazuhiko prayed for one everyday ever since he was assigned to Ms. Kashiwagi's class. He had heard of her lewd portrayals during class sessions. This was probably why he tried to keep below the radar academically but a reasonable level as to not stay after school for her "tutoring" sessions. Kazuhiko spoke up.

"Whatever it is, it sounded important. I doubt that it's just about teaching curriculums."

This time, Mikan joined the conversation.

"I'm not sure if this is accurate, but one of the second-year students didn't show up to class today. The teachers called her parents, but they don't know where she went. She didn't seem like the type to skip class."

Johei, suddenly interested in the conversation, turned to Mikan and pressed her for more information.

"A fellow second year? Who was she?"

"I never knew her personally, but her name was Suzuki Miura."

Kazuhiko never heard of the name before so he didn't think any more of it.

"She'll probably turn up eventually. If she's not a bad stu-"

"Wait, Miura-chan didn't show up?" Johei quickly interrupted.

"Johei, you know her?"

Johei now look really worried.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask her out but never grew the balls to do so. Apparently, she and her parents aren't on good terms."

Kazuhiko's eyes started to point to the ground.

"Her parents, huh?"

Johei stopped and looked at Kazuhiko.

"At least she has her parents..."

"Oh, sorry man. Let's talk about something else. Hey, what's that up there?"

Some people were screaming and looking up at the top of a building. Some people even took out their phones to make a video of what was happening.

"Th-that's!"

On top of the building, there was a young girl with a rope tied around her neck. The other end was tied to the railing near the edge of the building. Everyone beside them was talking to each other.

"Holy crap! She's going to jump!"

"This is insane!"

"Someone, call the police!"

Johei and Mikan were frantically trying to get to the building with Kazuhiko right behind them.

"Come on! If we take the elevator, we might make it before she jumps."

The party of high schoolers ran up the steps and finally got onto the roof. The girl was luckily still there but was dangerously close to falling.

"Stop! Don't jump!"

The girl turned around to show her face. It normally would have been beautiful if there weren't any cuts and bruises. Johei stopped in his tracks with shock as he recognized the girl.

"M-Miura-chan?"

The girl sadly nodded. Her face wasn't the only thing that looked mistreated: Her hair looked as if it was torn out, her arms were bleeding as if someone slit them with a knife, and her school uniform was torn. Strangely, the most noticeable feature were the glowing chains that seemed to hang from her wrists and ankles.

"I decided..."

And with that, she fell off the roof.

Johei, Mikan and Kazuhiko rushed to the side but couldn't grab hold of her. They watched as she fell only to have her neck broken by the rope. Mikan backed away from the railing with a look of pure terror in her eyes. Johei had begun to grip the railing tightly with his fists as tears started to run down his face.

"Miura… she… she jumped..."

"Damnit! She could have talked to me!"

Kazuhiko stood there dumbfounded. He looked at the lifeless body of Suzuki Miura as it hung from the rope. Then, he saw the strangest thing; even more strange than the card stuff he had seen last night: The chains were disappearing.

 **So, I finally finished this chapter. How'd it go? I think I'll skip the interview for this chapter. After what the characters just seen, it's probably best to leave them alone for now. We'll cut to the chase and awaken Kazuhiko's Persona in either chapter 5 or 6.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I found that I had a lot of free time and decided to publish this early. Enjoy!**

 **CHAPTER 5**

Through the Looking Glass

August 9, 2021

 _5:42 PM_

 _Subway Train_

The ride back to the hotel seemed to take longer than it should have to the three teenagers. Then again, the incident regarding the suicide of their classmate happening right before their eyes still lingered in their minds. Kazuhiko and Mikan stayed silent, but Johei was too angry at himself to not say anything.

"I almost caught her..."

It was true. Johei's fingers almost caught Suzuki's hand but couldn't grab onto her. Kazuhiko decided to help his friend ease of his guilt.

"Johei, it's not your fault. She chose to end her life. Let her rest-"

"Yeah! You're right! It's her damn parents' fault!"

Johei suddenly stood up from his seat on the subway, his eyes filled with hatred.

"They made her commit suicide and they should suffer for it!"

People in the train began to look at Johei, wondering if he was psyching himself up or was just plain crazy. Either way, the passengers began to slowly move away from him. Mikan gently put her hand on his arm.

"Johei, calm down. If her parents were to blame, they will be caught one way or another. For now, let's leave this in the hands of the authorities."

Johei, much to his dismay, sat back down and stayed silent for the remainder of the ride. Kazuhiko, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

 _What the hell was up with those chains?_ Kazuhiko thought.

The chains he had seen weren't connected to anything except for her wrists and ankles. And once she was dead, the chains began to dissappear.

"Hey, did you guys see any chains on her?"

Johei looked at Kazuhiko with a sideways stare.

"Chains? What are you even talking about?"

"Are you feeling okay, Kazuhiko-san?"

Kazuhiko felt confused, but answered them.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm just… a little shaken up."

The subway finally dropped them off at their stop. Johei, Mikan and Kazuhiko started to walk to the stairs until Johei spoke up.

"Guys..."

Mikan and Kazuhiko stopped walking and turned around to see Johei staring at the electronic bulletin board. On it showed Suzuki's body being taken down by the fire department. The event happened a little while ago, but it was now the talk of the town. Mikan started to walk to him and move him away from the news cast, but Johei started to talk again.

"Tomorrow, we're going to talk to her parents."

Kazuhiko was startled by this. Of course, he only knew Johei for a month before he left Nuzoko, but he never suspected him to be this bold.

"Dude, you're crazy. We do that, we could get social security on our asses."

"I don't care!"

Johei began to walk to the electronic bulletin board with tears streaming down his face.

"They need to realize what they did! Their own child and they drove her to her death!"

Johei stared at Suzuki's body, trying to remember that kind person she was before.

 _Flashback_

 _December 27, 2020_

Johei had began to walk to Shigure's after finishing his chores, which took up most of his day. Snow began to fall again and he shrank deeper into his coat. On rainy or snowy days, Shigure's would usually make the rice platter half price. This would probably be enough for his dinner and his lunch tomorrow, so he had to take advantage, after all, he was living by himself.

Johei was an orphan at birth; he lived in the orphanage until he turned 15 about three months ago. He was now living in an apartment that was payed for him by the government, but he would have to get food and other necessities on his own. He could live in the apartment until he was able to provide for himself or if he misbehaved.

His long walk finally ended when he reached the familiar restaurant with a few tables outside. Surprisingly, there wasn't as much business as he thought there would be. The inside of Shigure's had very few people, but a girl chose to sit outside. She wore a white snow coat with a turtle neck that covered most of her face along with a pair of pink earmuffs and mittens. Despite her facial features being hidden, Johei recognized her immediately.

"Miura-chan? Is that you?"

The girl regarded him with sad eyes and silently nodded. Her eyes were slightly red as if she were crying for hours. There wasn't anything on the table except a cup and a pot of ginger and lemon tea. Despite being cold, Johei decided to sit in the other chair at the table.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Suzuki shook her head and sat back. She didn't move for several minutes while Johei ordered the special rice platter. For what seemed like forever, the two just sat there with two cups and a pot of tea between them.

"Hey, Miura-chan, are you feeling okay?"

Suzuki's face started to tear up as she shook her head.

"What happened? You can talk to me if you want."

Johei had only known Suzuki from a distance. They never had been classmates until this year, but even then, she was still quiet. Johei had always tried to talk to her but never got the chance to. Suzuki began to take off her right hand's mitten to show grotesque scars and cuts. Johei opened his eyes with even more worry.

"Oh God, Miura-chan. You should really get that looked at. It looks like it could start bleeding again."

Suzuki stared back at Johei who was fishing out some gauze in his pocket. She didn't foresee that Johei would act this way. She suspected that he would ask her who did this to her instead of trying to mend her wounds. He seemed to be more caring than he let on.

Johei carefully applied the antibiotic and wrapped the bandage on her hand.

"Alright, don't take off the bandage for three days. By then, the antibiotic will have kept the bacteria away and the scars will have healed."

Suzuki looked at the bandage that Johei had just finished with awe. It was expertly wrapped so that she could still perform everyday tasks without disturbing the healing process.

"Shiroka-san! H-how did you..."

Johei sat back with his face full of pride.

"I kind of live by myself so I have to take care of my health if I get hurt" He boasted.

Suzuki smiled slightly. She couldn't remember the last time she felt happy. School was full of people who either didn't care or couldn't understand what she went through. Although, staying at school was still better than staying home.

"You don't have to tell me how you got those scars. I can already tell. I've seen that look before"

Johei sadly remembered his old friend, Kazuhiko, who moved to Inaba. Thankfully, he seemed to be doing better than before and was able to have the strength to make friends.

"I used to have a friend that was constantly getting beat by other students. He had the same look that you had on your face when I first saw you."

Suzuki wanted to hear more but the waiter had arrived with the food.

"Alright, we have one special rice platter and a refill on the tea. Will that be all?"

Johei started to take out his wallet but stopped himself. Instead, he turned to Suzuki.

"Miura-chan, you sure you don't want anything to eat? I'm fine with paying for you."

Suzuki paused and nodded without saying anything. Johei then turned to the waiter.

"Actually, we'll take another rice platter."

The waiter nodded and soon came back with another large plate of fried rice. Johei and Suzuki ate their food in silence.

"You know, if you don't want to, you don't have to go back home for today..."

Suzuki looked at Johei with slight confusion.

"I mean, you ran away from your parents because they were hurting you right? You could stay at my place for the night."

Suzuki slowly digested what Johei had said. True, she could stay at his apartment to stay away from her parents for a little longer, but she would eventually need to get back to them soon enough. And when she did, she would probably get in even more trouble, not only with her parents, but with the police. People who ran away from home didn't tend to be taken lightly.

"I'm fine. I should probably get going now. Thanks for paying for me."

Suzuki stood up and took the remainder of the food in a takeout box. As she left, Johei called out to her.

"Wait!"

Suzuki turned around to see Johei's face slightly tinted.

"W-would it be… alright if I called you… Suzuki-chan?"

Johei felt somewhat embarrassed and didn't even know what he was doing.

 _Damn it! This isn't the time to do that!_ Johei thought

 _She'll probably never talk to me again! I really ruined the moment didn-_

"Sure. Only if I can call you Johei-kun."

Suzuki, for the first time in her life, had warmly smiled to Johei as she walked off. Johei stood there watching here walk in the distance.

"Well, she's alright. After all, she's already got me as a friend."

"Excuse me, sir. Your bill is 3000 yen."

Johei turned around to see the waiter with the check.

"Oh, alright. My wallet's here somewhere..."

Johei fished out his wallet and opened it to find only 1500 yen.

"Oh shit..."

 _End of Flashback_

 _Present Day_

"She was a good person. She deserved to live a long life!"

Kazuhiko walked behind Johei.

"Johei, calm down."

"NO! I'LL MAKE SURE THEY PAY!"

The electronic bulletin board was suddenly broken. For a few seconds, Johei didn't feel anything. Then he realized that he had punched a hole in the board. The glass had cut his knuckles and began to bleed. Mikan sighed as she took out some cloth from her bag.

"Come on, let's get you home."

Johei silently obeyed as they walked up the steps. Pretty soon, they were in front of the apartment complex that Johei lived at.

"Guys, can you give me your numbers?"

Kazuhiko nodded and the three of them took out their phones. Once the scanning was done, they put their phones back in their pockets.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Johei left and went inside the apartment leaving Mikan and Kazuhiko outside. With nothing else to do, the two walked to the hotel.

"Kazuhiko-kun, about yesterday..."

Kazuhiko looked to Mikan. He remembered how he had protected her from the thugs yesterday and ended up getting sent to the hospital.

"I should have done more to protect you. Being your senpai, I shouldn't have gotten you involved with my problem. I am truly sorry for my mistake."

Mikan deeply bowed to Kazuhiko. She had these problems for a long time and whenever someone tried to help, they ended up getting hurt. She couldn't let this happen.

"Mika-senpai, you don't have to apologize. I chose to help you out of my free will."

Mikan stood up and looked surprised.

"When I saw you being threatened, you were a lot like me when getting beat by other kids when I first lived here. Friends are what helps ease that pain."

Mikan slowly smiled and repeated those words to herself.

"Friends are what helps ease that pain, huh?"

Kazuhiko nodded. He felt happy when he could help others with similar problems that he had. Before they knew it, they arrived to the hotel.

"Well, it seems like I have a lot to learn. And from my own underclassman. You are very wise, Kazuhiko-san."

"Thanks, senpai! I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, Kazuhiko walked into the hotel and got into his room. He immediately felt drowsy and fell onto his bed. Sleep took over him before he even felt the mattress.

 _The Velvet Room_

 _?/?/?_

Kazuhiko opened his eyes and found him sitting in a chair inside a very blue courtroom. At the judge's chair, sat the strange and long nosed man, Igor. Next to him stood Alexandria, who looked emotionless as always.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor said.

Kazuhiko sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Do not be alarmed, you are fast asleep in the real world." Igor continued.

"Is this going to be a regular thing now? Just pulling me into this room?" Kazuhiko asked.

Igor chuckled slightly and continued.

"Do not worry. The next time we meet will be of your own accord."

Kazuhiko continued to stare at Igor.

 _My own accord? Why would I even want to be here in the first place?_

"Now, to the matter at hand. The previous event you had witnessed has become the starting point of your journey." Igor stated.

This time, Alexandria spoke.

"The chains of despair are what limits the human capabilities from their true potential. Only when they are broken can the raw power within be used."

Kazuhiko stopped them for a moment. The only significant phrase that they said was something he needed answers to.

"Wait, hold on. Did you just say 'chains of despair'?"

Alexandria nodded. Igor answered this time.

"The chains of despair are somewhat a metaphor. Through experiences, people become shackled by despair; being shackled by despair makes certain experiences happen."

Kazuhiko felt like he only understood part of that, but he kept going.

"You also said that a power could be used when those chains are broken. What power are you talking about? Why was Suzuki-chan chained?"

Igor smiled mysteriously smiled and spoke.

"You will find out. All in due time. Now, Alexandria, present him the reason why we summoned him."

Alexandria bowed to Igor.

"Yes, master."

With a flick of her hand, a key had appeared in front of Kazuhiko.

"This is a key that will allow you to enter this room of your own free will. You will require our assistance when the time comes. For now, we shall wait until you gain that power."

Kazuhiko's vision started to blur until he found himself in his room again. He turned to see the clock on his desk and got up with a start.

"Holy crap! 7:05 already?!"

Wondering what Igor and Alexandria was talking about, Kazuhiko got into his uniform and rushed down the stairs. Upon arriving at the front of the hotel, Kazuhiko met Mikan who was waiting for him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Senpai!"

"Don't worry, we can make it if we run!"

The two ran until they finally reached the school gates. Kazuhiko left Mikan on the second floor and took his seat just before the bell rang. Mr. Ozuma walked into the classroom with a depressed facial expression.

"Would everyone stand up from their seats and follow me, please?"

Kazuhiko stood up along with a bunch of his other classmates, but for some reason, Johei was nowhere to be found. They were soon all seated in the auditorium. The principle and the line of teachers were on the stage.

"Students, it has come to my attention that Ms. Suzuki Miura has committed suicide"

A couple students started talking to each other. Even though it had just happened yesterday, everyone had known about it. The principle continued.

"It has also come to my attention that the reason behind her death is because of one of our students."

This time, even more students began to talk. Kazuhiko and Mikan were shocked to this news.

"You all shall be relieved from your regular schedules as of today so the police can perform an investigation amongst you. If you are asked for an interrogation, please do not refuse. The sooner we find out the cause of her death, the better."

Soon after that, all classes were let out. Kazuhiko still couldn't find Johei anywhere so he decided to text him a message.

 _K:Hey, where ru ?_

 _J:Didn't feel like going 2day. What happened?_

 _K:Principle says that Suzuki's death is a student's fault._

 _J:WTF?!_

 _K:I know. Why did he say that?_

 _J: Her parents are behind this._

 _J: Meet me at the mall after school._

 _K: Okay. Should I bring Mikan?_

 _J: No. She won't approve of what I'll do._

 _K: What are you going to do?_

 _J: You'll find out soon_

The school day went by quickly and Kazuhiko started to go to the meet-up spot. He was starting to walk to the mall until he heard Mikan.

"Kazuhiko-san! Wait up!"

Mikan fell into place with Kazuhiko's footsteps and walked beside him.

"Are you going to see Johei?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. Johei wanted me to meet with him about something. He told me not to bring you though."

Mikan frowned slightly, but agreed to not come.

"One thing though."

Kazuhiko stopped for a moment to hear Mikan's request.

"Make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret."

Kazuhiko smiled. Johei did see Mikan as a big sister, so it was only natural if she went out of her way to keep him safe.

"Don't worry, I will."

Kazuhiko left Mikan at the front of the mall and walked to the arcade where he saw Johei waiting.

"There you are. What took you so long?"

Johei seemed annoyed but kept his cool.

"Officers were doing an investigation. Nobody could leave until everyone was interrogated"

Johei's eyes then softened but he remained on task as always.

"Okay then. I guess you can't argue with that. Anyways, there's something I want to show you."

Johei dug in his pocket and produced a small scan code. On the back was something that looked like links of a chain. Along with that, Kazuhiko could see his own reflection. He looked back up to Johei puzzled.

"Is this a code for some type of gmae?"

Johei laughed lightly.

"No, just follow me."

Johei walked until he found a large mirror.

"Alright, now scan this and walk through."

Kazuhiko scanned the card with his phone and was surprised to see a new app appear on his phone.

"Go on. Walk right in."

Kazuhiko was confused. The mirror was large enough to fit in and nobody was around, but the idea of walking into a mirror was ridiculous.

"Dude, come on. Just do it."

Reluctantly, Kazuhiko walked up to the mirror.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Johei?"

Johei looked slightly more annoyed and crossed his arms.

"Alright, fine. I'll go first."

Pushing Kazuhiko aside, Johei walked up to the mirror and placed his palm on the glass. At first, it was solid, but as time passed, Johei's hand seemed to sink further into the mirror. After a few seconds, Johei had walked through the glass entirely. Kazuhiko was standing there dumb-founded.

"I must be on some type of drugs..." Kazuhiko muttered.

Kazuhiko then went to poking his finger on the glass. When his entire hand passed through, he drew it back in shock.

"Okay, I am definitely high on something."

Before Kazuhiko could walk away, a hand appeared from the mirror and grabbed him, pulling him into the mirror.

"Holy shit! Let go of me!"

Desperately, Kazuhiko looked around for anything he could hold on to. He found a railing that was close by and caught it with his fingers. The hand began to pull him with more strength into the mirror. Slowly, his grip on the railing faltered until he could only hold onto it with a finger.

Kazuhiko looked around and panicked when he saw some people heading his way. If any of them saw this, it could cause them to panic and call the police; something that Kazuhiko could not deal with now. Faced with a horrible decision, he closed his eyes and let go of the railing.

Kazuhiko half expected to feel glass on his back, but when he felt the sensation passing through water, he opened his eyes. Johei stood right in front of him while he was sitting down on the ground.

"Is this… the mall?"

Kazuhiko looked around and saw the restaurants that he passed by, but something seemed off.

"Johei… wasn't the Korean Barbecue place over there, and not there?"

Johei smiled, amused at his friend's confusion.

"Yeah, but have you noticed the signs?"

Kazuhiko looked at the sign and was even more confused when he saw that the signs were all backwards.

"Okay, tell me what drugs were slipped into my food, my water, whatever."

Johei started to laugh heartily for a few minutes.

"Dude, this is real. Then again, I acted even worse than you did when I first found out about this place."

Kazuhiko felt a headache coming on.

"Alright, so if this is real, what the hell is this place?"

Johei looked around as if this had been the first time he had been here as well.

"I don't know. I tried coming up names for it. What do you think we should call it?"

Kazuhiko thought for a moment and finally spoke.

"Let's call it… **The Mirror Dimension**."

Johei whistled lowly and smiled at his friend's creativity.

"Yeah! The Mirror Dimension it is!"

The boys were excited for a little while until Kazuhiko brought them back to the matter at hand.

"Hey, you said that we were going to do something about Suzuki-chan's death right?"

Johei's gaze suddenly darkened and he nodded.

"Yes, we're going to make sure that Suzuki's parents realize what they just did."

Johei started to walk out of the mall and into the direction of the residential area. Kazuhiko followed along behind him, slightly frightened by his friend's new aura.\

"Okay, but what exactly are we going to do to them?" Kazuhiko asked.

He started to notice glowing bracelet-like items forming on Johei's wrists.

"Do you even have to ask?"

The bracelets started to grow with rings attaching themselves to each other.

"She died because her parents beat her and showed her she wasn't loved!"

More and more links began attaching to each other until they formed a long chain. Kazuhiko then started to worry.

"H-h-hey, Johei… We aren't going t-to do anything we might regret… r-right?"

Johei shook his head. His eyes showing anger and madness.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to regret this one bit!"

The chain links continued to connect to each other until the last one was placed, causing the chains to glow even more intensely.

"I tried going in here because some asshole was harassing women just to get away from him, but it was happening here too!"

Johei's pace quickened to a speed walk.

"I was so infuriated, I beat him to a bloody pulp!"

Kazuhiko really started to have a bad feeling."

"When I was finished, I told him all the horrible things people like him do to women. I came back to the real world, and you know what I saw?"

Johei then turned and stepped up to the porch of a nearby house. The mailbox read "Miura".

"I saw that same man blubbering about his crimes and eventually, JUMPED OFF THE TOP FLOOR!"

Kazuhiko's eyes flashed with horror. He tried to put his hand on Johei's shoulder.

"J-johei, you can't possibly mean that..."

Johei turned around and looked Kazuhiko in the eyes. They radiated hate and madness so much, Kazuhiko almost fainted with fear of what his friend had become.

"Yes..." Johei whispered to Kazuhiko.

"I am going… to kill them"

 **Okay, so I promise that the next chapter will have Persona awakenings. I'm just trying to stall because I'm trying to come up with some original Personas. If you have a suggestion that is original, I'll take it to consideration. The best one will be featured as the MC's Persona. If there are no suggestions, I'll make it up myself. Please like, follow review or recommend to someone you think would like this. Thanks! Also, I recently watched an anime that my friend suggested to me: High School of the Dead. The first episode was so good, I decided that I will probably make a fanfiction about it, but not after watching a few more episodes. Just want to throw that out for you guys in the near future. Anyways, I decided to make a mini adventure instead of an interview. Enjoy!**

Mikan was walking to Shigure's after Kazuhiko left for the mall. At times when she felt that she couldn't do anything, she tended to get hungry.

"Hello, I'd like to have the special rice platter and some tea, please."

The waiter came back with the food. Mikan decided to get the special rice platter since it was the item that had the most food. She began to eat her food while worrying.

 _What did Kazuhiko mean when he needed to be alone with Johei._

*munch*

 _Johei had something that would "avenge" Sukima-chan_

*crunch*

 _Johei tends to let his emotions get the better of him_

Mikan heard someone in the background talking about betting.

 _He could even get violent_

Cheering was heard in the background

 _He did blame her parents for her death…_

The waiter walked up with something in his hands and congratulated her for an amazing feat.

 _Is he going to hurt them?!_

Mikan quickly stood up and brought out her wallet.

"Waiter! How much do I owe you?"

The waiter looked shocked.

"B-but, ma'am. You finished the challenge."

Mikan looked down at her finished bowl and saw a plaque next to it.

"… I definitely worry too much"


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

I Art Thou

 _After school_

 _The Mirror Dimension_

 _Miura Residence_

Kazuhiko stood there for a full minute, his mouth agape. Johei continued to talk.

"They were murderers, Kaz… They think that they're above the law? We'll show them..."

Johei put his hands on Kazuhiko's shoulders.

"They deserve to be put down… This is our duty… as human beings… To bring justice to the corrupt."

Kazuhiko could now feel the heavy and desperate breaths of air from Johei's lungs.

 _Dude, what have you been eating? Wait! Now's not the time for jokes!_

"You're my best friend, Kaz. Will you help me-"

Kazuhiko threw Johei's hands off his shoulders and backed away.

"Johei… what happened to you?"

Johei stood very still, not saying anything.

"You're not in your right mind! There's no way we could do something like this!"

Kazuhiko panted. He suddenly felt more cautious around his friend, as if he were going to attack him. Johei sighed with a look of dismay in his eyes.

"I would have thought you of all people… would understand the situation we have..."

Kazuhiko took a few more steps behind him until he stepped in something. He looked down and found his foot on top of a reddish-black substance that he could have sworn wasn't there before.

"My best friend… is trying to stop me?"

Kazuhiko looked back at Johei until he noticed more of the goo around the house. They were all slowly moving.

"I didn't want to do this to you Kaz..."

The gunk then began to climb up the chains, covering Johei's arms and torso.

"If you make it out of here… I'll be sent to shit..."

The slime then covered his entire body, save for his face. Johei's frame then began to grow.

"This didn't have to end like this… "

The slime started to solidify, revealing a metal body that was pitch black. A robotic pair of mishapped wings that were chained together were attached to his back along with a crudely shaped sword. The body was clothed by a torn angelic robe and shackles formed on all of his limbs.

"I never wanted to do this… but I have to..."

The slime finally reached his head and covered his eyes.

"Johei! Please, stop!"

"Give up talking. I won't be listening..."

The substance finally covered his mouth and ears and formed a knight's helmet, blocking all of his hearing, but still able to talk. Kazuhiko finally took a hint and ran.

"You can't escape."

Kazuhiko couldn't recognize the voice; it didn't sound like Johei at all. He continued to think about this until he stopped in front of a wall.

"Only shadows control this realm."

Kazuhiko turned and saw corrupt angel walking towards him. It was rather slow, but it didn't need speed; Kazuhiko couldn't get out of the front lawn.

"This is what Johei needs to do. He is chained to his fate!"

The angel pulled out it's sword from it's sheath. Upon closer inspection, Kazuhiko could see multiple faces in the reflection of the blade all of them screaming and begging for help. The sound was enough to make anyone go insane.

"You shall never change his destiny!"

Kazuhiko fell back and looked up at the angel; it's sword held up, ready to strike him down in a second. Kazuhiko closed his eyes, waiting for the end. Years went back and he remembered the day he met Johei. Yoshimitsu held a knife, ready to kill him. The only difference now was that there was no savior present.

 _I'm sorry Mom and Dad, I couldn't stay out of trouble._

 _I'm sorry Johei, I can't protect you from your fate._

 _I'm sorry Nanako and Mika-senpai. I couldn't keep your promises._

Then, nothing happened. Kazuhiko opened his eyes and looked back up at the angel. It had stopped moving and made no sound. He stood up and looked around.

 _Did it just stop moving? What caused it? It couldn't have been the Miuras; It couldn't have been the atmosphere; It couldn't have been Alexandria… Wait, what?_

Kazuhiko turned his gaze back and was dumbfounded to see Alexandria waiting outside a blue door. She beckoned him to follow as she walked into the door.

"Come on! Either walk in here, talk with us and live for a little while longer or die right here."

Kazuhiko grimly remembered Igor's words of how the next time he would be in the Velvet room would be of his own free will. Reluctantly, Kazuhiko walked to the door and opened it, taking his seat at the witness stand.

"Welcome back. I see you are in quite a predicament."

 _No shit, Sherlock_ Kazuhiko thought. _What gave it away? The fact that my entire body was going to get split in half?_

Alexandria spoke.

"The shadows in this world tend to act independently. However, when someone is being influenced by despair, shadows are bent to their will. You see, shadows are the manifestations of the true emotions of man."

Kazuhiko frowned slightly. _The true emotions?_ Igor smiled.

"However, shadows only represent the negative emotions. The positive emotions take on the form of a **Persona.** "

At the mention of the word, Kazuhiko suddenly felt warmer. It was as if he had heard it before, but he couldn't remember.

"Personas can also be defined as the strength of the heart. Usually, our guests don't have a Persona before they meet us, but that is where the similarities between you and prior guests end."

Kazuhiko slowly digested this information. _So there were more people besides me that had these experiences? What differences are they talking about?_

As if reading Kazuhiko's mind, Alexandria answered him.

"The most intriguing difference is how you awakened a Persona before you stepped foot into this room."

"WHAT?!"

Before deciding how to react, Kazuhiko had unintentionally shouted.

"Uh… I mean, what are you talking about?"

Igor chuckled.

"You shall find that out much later in your journey. For now, remember that Personas are the key to finding the truth you seek on your journey."

With that final statement, Igor waved his hand and Kazuhiko was back outside; This time, the he was right behind the angel.

"Where did you disappear to?!"

Kazuhiko couldn't believe his luck when he transported right behind the angel. It still couldn't find him so he decided to give it a heads-up.

"Hey, idiot! Over here!"

The angel turned around and found Kazuhiko shouting to it. Kazuhiko just realized the dumb mistake he just made and reminded him to face palm himself if he could get out of the dilemma he was in.

"This is the fate that Johei has chosen. He cannot break away from it. So why do you keep interfering?"

The angel swung it's sword in a wide arc, just narrowly missing Kazuhiko's head by an inch. Just then, a voice whispered into Kazuhiko's head.

 _He's right you know. Why do this? They deserve to be punished._

"What the hell?"

Chains had begun to form on Kazuhiko's wrists as well, but this time, they were forming to keep him from moving.

 _It's like what those kids from before said, right? If you don't let him do this, you're protecting the scum of humanity. You really are a devil child._

The chains had finally finished and they held Kazuhiko's hands and feet together. He tripped and couldn't do anything except watch the angel raise his sword again.

 _This is for the best. This is your only chance at redemption. Let them suffer._

"NO!"

Kazuhiko yelled as he pulled on the chains. The angel looked surprised, despite it's lack of facial features, and stepped back.

"It's true that I feel those emotions. That those bastards deserve punishment."

 _Okay, but why are you rejecting your fate?_ The voice asked him.

"Johei is my friend. I let him do this, he won't be any better than Suzuki's parents."

The chains started to crack. The voice asked him another question.

 _Yeah, but who else are you fighting for?_

"I'm fighting for Suzuki. Even though I never knew her in life, this wouldn't be what she wanted. She never wanted Johei to be a murderer because of her."

More of the chain links began to crack. Pretty soon, even the shackles started to weigh less.

 _Don't forget the promise you made to Mika-senpai_

"Of course, if Mika-senpai found out what happened, she'll break down at what here younger brother had become."

The chains holding Kazuhiko's feet together shattered. The ground started to quake and wind circled around him.

 _So, your resolve has solidified… There's no turning back now. You know what to do. Shatter your chains!_

Kazuhiko looked down at his chains. Although cracked, they still looked sturdy. Nonetheless, Kazuhiko pulled on them. He thought of Johei when they were kids. After saving him from Yoshimitsu, Kazuhiko never got to repay him or even thank him. It was time to return the favor.

 _Now, summon me! Together we shall rid fear from every being!_

Kazuhiko continued to pull on his chains. The angel, although shaken up, raised it's sword once again and prepare to swing. At that moment, Kazuhiko felt the chains give away. He settled his footing and yelled out.

"PER!"

The chains cracked.

"SO!"

The links finally shattered and the shackles along with them.

"NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

They began to catch fire at the ends and a large being formed before Kazuhiko, protecting him from the blow.

*clang*

The being caught the blade with it's left hand. It's completely white skinned body was clothed in chain mail, a flowing red cape and a pair of worn-out boots. It's flowing long hair appeared multi-colored but, on closer inspection, were a bunch of stray wires attached to his head. On his back was a sword that had glowing runes along the flat side of it's blade that Kazuhiko couldn't identify. A circular shield was also strapped to it's back. A viking-like helmet rested on it's head where Kazuhiko could see two yellow eyes that radiated courage. Everything was hard to take in, but the most interesting feature was the creature's right hand.

The right hand was metallic, with gears moving between the knuckles. The fingers were sharpened as if they were meant for tearing through the flesh of enemies. All-in-all, the thing looked badass.

 _Are you just going to stand there? Let's finish this shadow!_

Kazuhiko paused for a moment, then a slow smile creeped onto his face.

"Right. Let's go!"

The angel freed it's sword from the figure's hand. It stepped back, ready to charge.

"This is Johei's decision! If nobody does this, Suzuki's death would have been for nothing!"

The angel thrusted his sword at the being, nearly impaling him. At the last second, the being sidestepped and drew it's sword.

 _Kazuhiko, your friend needs to hear us! It's the only way to stop the shadow!_

"Alright then! Then let's just get that gunk off his face!"

The being nodded and sliced at the angel's face. Some of the shadows came off, but it wasn't enough to reveal Johei's frame.

"If you won't stand still, I'll make you! Sukunda!"

Immediately, Kazuhiko felt heavier; As if he had just put on a flak-jacket.

 _Kazuhiko, I can't keep dodging his attacks. Use a spell!_

Chains began to reform on Kazuhiko's wrists and he instinctively knew what to do. Breakign them again, Kazuhiko yelled out,

"Zio!"

A bolt of lightning flashed and hit the angel, sending it back and burning the outer shadows that encased Johei's body. Kazuhiko could see the outline of Johei's body; It was part of the upper torso just above the waist.

"Aim a slice at the angel's waist! We can get rid of more shadows that way!"

 _Cleave!_

The being's sword sliced the angel clean in half, making the torso fall onto the ground. Kazuhiko ran over to it's side and dug Johei's body from the shadow mess.

"Johei! Johei are you alright?"

Kazuhiko took out his pair of glasses that he got from Yu and pt it against Johei's nostrils. The lens didn't fog up.

"He's not breathing! What should I do?"

 _Hold him still. I can heal him. Dia!_

Shining particles hovered over Johei and he immediately opened his eyes. Johei looked over to Kazuhiko.

"Dude… what the hell happened to me? I didn't feel like myself back there. And what the fuck is that thing behind you?"

Kazuhiko turned and looked at the being. It was calmly floating and acting like a well behaved 10-foot behemoth that could end the life of anyone that insulted it.

"Yeah… what are you anyways?"

 _*sigh* I save your ass from shadows and the first thing you say to me is "What are you?"? A little thank you would do._

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for your help, but back to the question at hand: WHAT THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU?!"

The being sighed again as if it was used to this.

 _Remember what Sir Compass-nose said? Breaking the chains of despair? Strength of the heart? **The word you yelled when summoning me?**_

Kazuhiko thought back and vaguely remembered screaming out his lungs yelling "Persona". Just thinking about that made his throat parch.

"Soo… you're my Persona?"

The being nodded while it stood there.

 _Yes, I am your Persona. My name is Tyr, the Norse God of Courage. Although you probably haven't heard of me; that upstart Thor is stealing all the glory. He never looked like Chris Hemsworth! He's either drunk, sleeping, eating or fighting for no good reason. At least I sacrificed something for the greater good. You see this hand?_ Tyr showed his right mechanical hand. _This is when I agreed to sacrifice my hand to save the world, but do I get a Marvel movie? No!_

Tyr continuously talking made Kazuhiko's head split. Until, at last, Tyr addressed Johei.

 _You should probably talk to your friend. He looks like he could use some helpful words._

Kazuhiko looked back at Johei. He was on his knees now; the chains on his arms were holding him down to the ground. He was hangin his head in shame, refusing to look at Kazuhiko

"You don't have to save me, Kaz. Just go; scum like me deserve to rot. Those shadows will probably finish me now."

Kazuhiko walked back to Johei and stopped right in front of him.

"Johei… I agree that Suzuki's parents are to blame for her death, but we can't just murder them. We'll just stoop down to their level."

Johei attempted to stand up, but was forced back to his knees by the chains.

"Then, what am I supposed to do?! I loved her, Kaz! Am I supposed to sit on my ass and watch them get off clean and without a fight?!"

Kazuhiko stood there, not moving. He waited for Johei to vent out his feelings.

"If I can't do anything about this, how am I supposed to honor her?! She was kind, sweet, and she hated her parents fighting all the damn time!"

"If she loved you, then would she want to see you fight her parents?"

Johei looked back up at Kazuhiko, his facial expression filled with shock.

"To me, it sounds like she hated her parents fighting; not her parents themselves."

Johei remembered when he first talked to her. Suzuki only left when her parents were fighting. Whenever he walked her home, she always seemed happy when she didn't hear her parents screaming at each other. He remembered when she saw a pair of students fighting, she looked saddened and walked away nearly bursting in tears.

"Why… did I not… see that?"

Kazuhiko looked down on his friend. He bent down so he and Johei could look at each other at the same level.

"Johei, she never wanted you to kill them; she wanted you to stop their fighting. She loved you because saw how caring you were. You never had ill feelings with anyone. Anything that tried to pull you down, you faced it with a smile on your face. Nothing stopped you from having a good time. Even if you were kind of a pervert..."

"I resent that word. Call me by my professional title: A civilized man"

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes.

"Sure, civilized men definitely sneak into the girl's locker room with a camera."

Johei chuckled.

"Hey, where did you learn that?"

"From Mika-senpai. She said she would have caved in your face, but the other girls were already doing just that."

Johei could still feel all the punches and kicks that were dealt upon him. Still, he did get a few pictures… and some good memories. He was on the ground, and the girls were wearing skirts…

"Yeah… good times."

Kazuhiko's face suddenly became serious again.

"We can still help her, but not while you're chained down like that. You need to stop making her death weigh you down. You need to stand and bear that weight on your shoulders. For Suzuki."

Johei nodded and pulled on his chains.

"You're right. For Suzuki."

Johei pulled on the chains and broke them with satisfaction. What Johei didn't notice was the figure floating behind him. Kazuhiko stepped back and pointed at it.

"What the hell is that?!"

Johei turned around but the figure had vanished. He looked back at Kazuhiko and Tyr with a confused look.

"What are you talking about? Let's get back to that mirror."

Johei casually walked back to the mall, passing Kazuhiko and Tyr like nothing happened. Kazuhiko still stared at the empty space where the figure disappeared.

 _Kazuhiko, let's go. This place is dangerous, we can't leave Johei unsupervised._

Kazuhiko nodded, and with a final glance at the spot, he ran to catch up to Johei.

 _Nuzoko Mall Center_

 _7:34 PM_

Kazuhiko and Johei bent down, breathing heavily. Once the walked back through the mirror, a wave of fatigue seemed to wash over them, instantly making them feel as if the had run 5 miles.

"Well, I'll call you later, dude."

Johei walked off into the distance and exiting the mall.

 _So, what do we do now?_ A voice asked Kazuhiko.

"I don't know, probably head ho-. WHAT THE SHITTING JESUS CHRIST?!"

Calmly standing next to him, was Tyr. He looked around with fascination at all the small stores and stands.

 _So this is your world, hm? It seems rather compact and small. And what's with all the women here? They all are wearing clothes that would make them look they want to be taken to bed._

Kazuhiko panicked, but still agreed to Tyr's remark (seriously, some shorts were not meant to be shorter).

"Crap, man. What if someone sees you? Nobody would think that a ten foot tall man dressed for battle is perfectly normal."

 _What are you talking about? The village people, where I come from, all looked like they were dressed for a raid all the time. Probably because they were vikings._

"That's not the point! Hurry up and find a place to hide before someone spo-"

"Kazuhiko-san, are you feeling okay?"

Kazuhiko felt himself jump a few feet in the air when he turned around a saw Mikan looking at him with a worried face.

"AH, uh Mika-senpai! Hey! What are you doing here? (Please don't see the giant viking behind me)"

Mikan sighed.

"You were talking to thin air. I mean, look; nobody's there."

Mikan pointed to Tyr who was standing still, not sure how to react. Kazuhiko looked confused and turned back to Mikan.

"You mean, you can't see him?"

Mikan now looked confused.

"See who? Are you sure you didn't eat or drink something weird?"

Kazuhiko then concluded that Mikan couldn't see Tyr. Probably would be best to change the topic

"Oh yeah, I just talked with Johei. He just needed to blow off some steam."

Mikan immediately went to angered (sorry, concerned) parenting mode and began to lecture Kazuhiko.

"You mean he skipped school because he was angry?! That does it! When I find him I am going to punch him so hard he'll regret even thinking about skipping a second of class!"

When Mikan had finished, she turned to see Kazuhiko shielding himself behind a potted plant, as if Mikan was a ticking bomb ready to explode. Mikan blushed slightly and turned.

"W-well… he did have a rough time yesterday… so I guess it's alright if he doesn't feel up to it..."

Mikan then decided to leave quickly. Kazuhiko waved goodbye as he made his way to the hotel. Tyr, being new to the world, instinctively asked Kazuhiko about everything.

 _Kazuhiko, what is this strange device that emits the rays of the sun yet doesn't hurt my skin?_

"That's a street light."

 _Kazuhiko, that men is speaking to something in his hand yet nobody is there._

"That's a phone"

 _Kazuhiko, what is this strange rubbery thing on the ground? It's clear and filled with white liquid and-_

"Don't touch that."

 **So, Kazuhiko has just summoned his Persona! Johei has too but just hasn't noticed it yet. Anyways, It'll take a little more time to make the next chapter. I'm also planning on seriously making a Highschool of the Dead fanfiction that's completely original; no characters from the anime or manga will appear in it. Expect the first chapter in a little while. As always, review, like, follow, favorite, etc this fanfiction. I've decided to use Norse mythology for the Personas and it will take a little while to come up with what I should use. Enjoy the next mini-story!**

"So, Tyr, what's with all of those wires from your head?"

 _This is my hair, but , for some weird reason, they're wires that connect to my energy source. I guess this emphasizes my ability in lightning spells._

"I can see a bunch of wires here… Is that a micro-USB charger?"

 _I'm not sure what you're talking about._

"Oh wait, Johei's calling me. Hey man! What's up? Oh nothing with me. I haven't thought of joining any sports yet; my ribs are still healing."

 _Kazuhiko, what is that beeping sound?_

"Oh crap, my phone's almost out of battery. Wait… I wonder..."

 _Kazuhiko, what's a battery? Wait, what are you doing to my hair? Ow! Stop pulling on it! What the heck?_

"Alright, stand still. Yeah? Oh nothing, just needed to grab a charger for my phone"

 _You cruel human being..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Back here with another chapter. If you didn't know what that rubbery thing with white stuff was in chapter 6 that Tyr mentioned, it was a used condom. In chapter 8, I will interview Johei, so if you have any questions about him, post them in the reviews. I'm actually being serious with the HOTD fanfiction that I'm making. It will feature the viewpoints of every character for each chapter, and there will be 20 characters in all. I'll need some help coming up with names for them, but I have the majority of the list figured out. If any of them sound like good names, I'll put it in the story, also with their background information and characteristics.**

 **CHAPTER 7**

How I met my Persona

 _b, #c, d, b, #c, d, b, #c, d, b, #c, d, f…_

Kazuhiko instantly recognized the tune of the velvet room before he opened his eyes. Igor sat in his usual seat with Alexandria next to him.

"Welcome, back. It seems that you have awoken your Persona." Igor said.

Kazuhiko remembered summoning Tyr in the Mirror Dimension. It was as amazing as it had been terrifying. He was pretty sure he had wet himself a little. Very heroic indeed.

"I'm sure you know what we were telling you what a Persona is now, correct?"

He nodded. Igor smiled.

"Very well, then. What if I told you that the Persona itself can be strengthened through the simplest of ways?"

Kazuhiko wondered what Igor was talking about.

 _Strengthening my Persona? Simplest of ways? What, do I like, need to take it to the gym or something? Damnit. Shut up, me! Now's not the time for my lame-ass jokes._

Igor calmly waited until Kazuhiko had finished fighting with himself mentally.

"You see, Personas are the strength of ones heart. They are of many classes. Your Persona, Tyr, is of the fool arcana."

 _So, are you insulting me or something?_ Kazuhiko thought. Igor continued.

"Interacting with people of other arcanas will strengthen your bonds with them, and will make the Personas that you own of that arcana stronger."

Kazuhiko listened intently, but caught onto something.

"Wait, Personas that I own? You mean I can have multiple?"

Alexandria nodded.

"Being of the fool arcana, you have the power to wield multiple Personas."

Igor continued for her.

"You see, your power is like the number zero."

Kazuhiko mentally felt a punch to the face. _Did he just call me a zero? Sure, I just got this power, but I can still kick ass! Give me a bigger number!_

Igor smiled, amused by Kazuhiko's thoughts.

"It is nothing, but at the same time, holds limitless power."

Kazuhiko suddenly felt dumber. _Oh… that's what you meant._

"The power of the wild card was usually handed out freely to all Persona users by this room's previous master, Philemon, but now, only a select few have this gift."

Alexandria spoke up.

"Our services shall be available to you the next time we meet. Until then."

Kazuhiko slowly fell asleep and materialized out of the Velvet room. Alexandria turned to Igor.

"Master, regarding the power of the wild card..."

Igor answered her immediately.

"No, Alexandria. Jaldabaoth was the only other being that could give the power of the wild card to humans. He has now lost that power ever since **he** defeated him. Master Philemon now entitles only myself to that power."

Alexandria nodded.

"Understood, Master."

 _(August 10, 2021)_

 _11:47 PM_

 _Johei's Apartment_

Johei tossed and turned. Wherever he tried to lay down on, he always felt uncomfortable on his mattress. He decided to face reality and got up to get some pillows.

"Christ… I'll probably look wasted tomorrow at school..." Johei grumbled, half asleep.

He looked in the cabinet and felt around for the extra pillow he had, but couldn't find it. He silently cursed and felt around for the light switch. He finally found it and braced himself for the bright light.

"Sonuva bitch… alright, where's that pillow?"

Johei went back to the cabinet and searched around for the pillow. He accidentally knocked something on the shelf above and he felt a picture frame land on his head.

*bonk*

"Ah! Shit!"

Johei rubbed his head and bent down to pick up the picture frame. He looked at it and saw the picture of Kazhiko and himself smiling. It was the picture they took on his last day in Nuzoko before he left for Inaba. He smiled as he remembered the old times the two had. Johei had been a well known prankster among the students and Kazuhiko as the devil child. They both had everything taken away from them, yet they seemed to be the happiest kids in the district. It was as if it was just the two of them against the world.

 _Flashback_

 _(May 20, 2011)_

 _Nuzoko Elementary School, 1st grade section_

"Alright, Kaz. You ready?"

"Ready when you are!"

Kazuhiko and Johei were standing by the hose connection laughing to each other. Yoshimitsu and his gang were chasing them around the playground trying to catch them, but to no avail. The managed to trap the two friends in a corner, with no escape or defense; or so they had thought.

"There's no way you're gonna get out of here now, devil!"

Kazuhiko felt slightly hurt at the remark, but kept smiling at Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu took notice of this.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Yoshimitsu asked.

Johei and Kazuhiko couldn't help themselves and burst out laughing with each other. Yoshimitsu and his gang stood there confused.

"Are we gonna get them this time or what?" One of the goons asked.

"Shut up!"

Once Kazuhiko and Johei finished laughing, they addressed Yoshimitsu. Kazuhiko spoke to them.

"Boy, you guys chased us the entire time didn't you? I bet you're real tired and thirsty."

Yoshimitsu frowned. It set him off about how the two appeared so calm about being cornered.

"How about a drink, guys?"

At that moment, Johei turned the valve open all the way. Yoshimitsu looked at the hose and found it unraveled and set into the ground. He realized a moment too late about where he and his gang were standing.

Water gushed out of the ground and sprayed him all over until he ran off, his friends right behind them. Only Johei and Kazuhiko were still there, laughing again.

"Oh boy, that was hilarious!"

"He should have seen it coming!"

Later, the two boys were told on and both faced the wall on a time-out, but they regretted nothing.

"Hey, Kaz."

Johei whispered to Kazuhiko, and he scooted closer.

"Now that those guys will leave you alone, let's not prank them anymore."

Kazuhiko was slightly confused. Johei, being the class clown, always made pranks for people, but only those who deserved punishment. Yoshimitsu terrorized more people than just Kazuhiko, so there was no reason why they should stop.

"How come?"

Johei looked down and answered with a sad voice.

"Well… he's a lot like us..."

This was the first time Kazuhiko saw Johei be nice to Yoshimitsu, let alone anyone be nice to him.

"He lost his mom when he was born..."

"He did? Then why's he so mean?"

Johei looked up with a serious tone.

"His dad hits him. He doesn't like anyone because of his dad."

Kazuhiko never heard this about Yoshimitsu. The thought of Yoshimitsu being nice felt strange to think about. Nonetheless, Yoshimitsu was still a bully.

"What'll we do? He's still going to hurt people."

Johei took a deep breath.

"Promise you're not gonna freak out, okay?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Okay, here goes… I think we should try to be friends with him."

Kazuhiko couldn't keep his promise.

"WHATTHEHECKAREYOUCRAZYORSOMETHINGDIDHEHITYOUINTHEHEADHARDORSOMETHINGYOUSHOULDGOSEETHENURSEI'LLTAKEYOUTHERETEACHERJOHEINEEDSTO-"

Kazuhiko felt a small piece of chalk hit his head at lightning speed. He held his head and felt a bruise welling up.

"Kazuhiko! Be silent! You still are in time-out!" The teacher yelled at him.

Rubbing the spot where he got hit, Kazuhiko mustered a "yes sir" and turned back to Johei, who looked slightly amused.

"Well, I think he broke his record. He threw that thing to you faster than he did to me last week."

Kazuhiko made a somewhat smile and grew serious again.

"Are you kidding though? About Yoshi-"

Johei cut him off.

"Yes. I'm serious. Let's talk to him tomorrow. His dad'll be made when he sees his wet clothes, so he'll sad tomorrow."

The two agreed with each other and was noticed by the teacher again. Both of them received another piece of chalk.

"owww. He really should consider joining a baseball team."

 _Flashback End_

Johei smiled, remembering the awesome prank they played. He could even feel the bruise spot that he got after all these years, or maybe it was just the spot that the picture frame hit him. Nevertheless, Johei put the frame back and located the spare pillow. He closed the cabinet and walked back to the light switch.

 _Hey, turn off the light! I can't sleep._

"Alright! Alright hold u-"

Johei paused for a moment and turned back to his bed to see a large figure on his bed tossing and turning to find a good spot.

 _Oh, hey! A pillow! That'll make things easier to sleep!_

Johei fell forward and lost consciousness.

 _(August 11, 2021)_

 _6:45 AM_

 _Kyuto High School, Front gate_

Kazuhiko walked up to the gates followed by Tyr.

" _So, Kazuhiko, this is where all the young minds of the world are tortured by perilous figures of authority_?"

"Tyr, for the last time, those guys were just kidding. Although, I will agree with them on some parts, Mr. Abarai does kind of abuse his power as a teacher."

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Tyr's head perked up.

" _Kazuhiko, do you… hear something?_ "

"Tyr, for the last time it's not a battle cry! I told you that was just a couple having sex in the other room!"

" _Yes, I know, but this sounds different._ "

"Tyr, I know there are a lot of sounds you aren't accustomed to yet, but… wait, I think I hear it too…"

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kazuhiko turned around to see Johei running towards him.

 _Too late to dodge now…_

The two collided with each other and fell to the ground. Kazuhiko lay still, wincing in pain about his ribs, while Johei got up and ran inside the building.

"Just… two days… two days until… my ribs heal… why can't it wait… for two days?"

Kazuhiko got up and dusted himself off. His ribs still hurt, but it would eventually go down. Tyr tried to get his attention.

" _Um, Kazuhiko"_

"Tyr, not now. I'll tell you what it is later."

" _Kazuhiko."_

"Hold on."

" _Kazuhiko!"_

"What?!"

Kazuhiko looked up at Tyr and noticed another spectral being that was floating right next to him. It had black and red armor with blades running parallel to his limbs that looked pretty light. The face was covered by a computer monitor that showed facial expressions of random celebrities and the occasional emoji. On the back were robotic wings that didn't seem to work, but somehow, the being was floating. One thing was for certain: this was what Johei was running from.

"Who are you?"

The being paused for a moment, as if to let Kazuhiko think for a little more, then it spoke.

" _Oh come on! You don't know who I am? Alright then, how about a hint. I'm in a Marvel movie_ _and_ _I_ _didn't star as a_ _'low-key'_ _character_."

Tyr hid his face in his palm.

"Of all the gods that he could have gotten..."

"Well, he was a prankster..."

The being rejoiced after being recognized.

"Yes! It is I, the Norse God of trickery! Played by the extremely accurate looking actor, Tom Hiddleston! Master of puns!"

"Wait, is he really?"

"Just ignore him."

Loki stopped his ranting after giving himself 20 more titles only to find that he wasn't talking to anybody.

"Geez! Can't I find some respect around here?"

 _12:00 PM_

 _Lunchtime_

 _Rooftop_

Kazuhiko and Johei were sitting on the benches next to their Personas. Kazuhiko felt calm, as if he were used to 10 foot tall beings that nobody but himself could see were a part normal life, whereas Johei acted like the normal human being and experimented forms of exorcism.

"Leave us in peace spawn of Satan!"

Johei held up a cross in one hand and clutched a bible to his chest with the other.

" _I'm still here._ "

"This realm does not welcome you!"

" _Dude, I'm a Norse God. Christianity doesn't have shit on me._ "

"My lord forbids your stay!"

" _Then again, I did run into Satan a couple times. He was fun to play pranks on_."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

" _Well, I did play both roles, husband and wife. It was kinda crazy giving birth to a horse._ "

"My home is protected by- Yeah, this isn't working"

Johei went back to his phone to search up more rituals while Kazuhiko started up a friendly conversation.

"So, you guys are Norse Gods?"

Tyr answered him.

" _We are just beings based off of them. We share the same name and titles, but we are not completely them. We are also a part of you_."

Kazuhiko took a look back at Johei trying to ward off Loki with salt, Loki being completely calm.

"Yeah, I don't see a lot in common with those two."

Johei fell back, tired from all the attempts he made and giving up.

"Well, I tried everything, but nothing worked. We might as well get used to each other."

Loki finally looked interested and greeted him.

" _Alright! My name's Loki! I'd shake your hand but I wouldn't want to literally scar my partner for life._ "

Johei nodded and then turned to Kazuhiko.

"So, what was this about Personas again? They're a part of you?"

Kazuhiko recalled Igor's words and repeated them as best as he could. Johei nodded understandably.

"Wait, so we got these guys by breaking chains of despair? The hell's that?"

"You had some chains on you that pulled you down. You broke them. I guess that's how we summoned them. I'm not really sure what this is either."

Johei recalled moments when people were asking about his sanity when he yelled at Loki.

"Nobody but us can see these things, right?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. Only people with Personas can see them. So, how'd it go with the psychologist?"

Mr. Ozuma heard about Johei's ramblings and decided to let him off the hook for the first period.

"Okay, I guess. She said I had trouble discerning fiction from nonfiction and told me to stop staying up late reading books."

" _So, are you still discovering the fact how your love life is purely fictional?_ " Loki said.

"Goddamnit shut up!"

The door to the roof opened and Mikan walked out to the two boys and Personas.

"Johei, I heard you got sent to the psychologist. Are you feeling okay after Suzuki?"

Kazuhiko tried to give her an indication that mentioning Suzuki was probably a bad idea, but Johei answered her before he could speak.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be fine!"

Mikan smiled and then walked back down the stairs. Kazuhiko noticed Johei planning something.

"Okay, I'll ask. What are you thinking of doing?" Kazuhiko asked.

"I thought you'd never asked, my friend!" Johei replied.

Before Kazuhiko could realize it, Johei already dragged him into his plan.

"So here's the deal. You saved me from killing Suzuki's parents by beating me up and talking me out of it right? What if we talk Suzuki's parents into confessing what they did?" Johei proposed.

Kazuhiko sat where he was for a moment, thinking about Johei's plan.

 _True it could work..._ Kazuhiko thought.

 _But it could get risky, I barely survived trying to save Johei. Who knows how hard it'll be to fight both of her parents. Besides, Johei's kind of a lightweight._

" _Kazuhiko, I think we should try it."_

 _Wait, what?_

" _Kazuhiko, you're speaking out loud."_

Kazuhiko glanced at Johei and Loki to notice that they were staring at him.

"What do you mean 'I'm kind of a lightweight'?"

"Nothing, but that place's dangerous. We don't have anything but these guys to protect us and I'm new to all of this."

Johei held up his hand to stop Kazuhiko from talking.

"Don't worry, I know a place where we can get some stuff. I'll meet you after school at the mall"

Johei walked to the staircase and went back to the classroom leaving Tyr and Kazuhiko on the roof. Tyr looked at Kazuhiko questionably.

" _What does he have planned?"_

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Whatever it is, it's probably gonna end up bad for me."

 _(After School)_

 _4:32 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

"So this is the place?"

Kazuhiko, Johei, Tyr and Loki stood/floated in front of a window displaying an array of weapons. The sign outside said **Kinpachi Smithing**. Tyr looked at the weapons amazed.

" _Amazing! Mortals nowadays still practice in the smithing of weapons! Although these weapons seem quite strange. They don't look as nearly as strong as the average battle ax."_

Johei continued talking to Kazuhiko.

"They smith all kinds of weapons for you, but their pride is with Feudal Japanese weaponry."

Kazuhiko looked at the price tag.

"And they're pretty cheap too. How are they supposed to make a profit by selling swords at ¥4000?"

Johei walked in and decided to look at the inventory. He seemed rather drawn to the yaris: long polearms with a blade protruding from the pole and crossed perpendicularly by two more blades on either side.

" _Not bad. This looks good for combat. How are you going to carry it around?"_

Johei paused, having not planned as far as he should have. Any police officer who saw a couple of teens with sharp weapons probably would look suspicious.

"I… uh..."

Kazuhiko payed no mind to Johei and Loki while he looked into the swords on the shelf. Tyr was looking rather intently at the double-edged swords.

" _Kazuhiko, I believe this would suit your needs. It has a good price and looks durable enough."_

Kazuhiko walked over to where Tyr was and spotted the sword he was talking about.

"Yeah, but I'll need to test it out first."

Kazuhiko beckoned the store keeper to open the display case so he could hold it. It felt light in his hands, but had a good enough weight to it that he could cause some damage. He checked the price tag.

"Only ¥2000? Good deal, so I guess I'll buy it."

Kazuhiko handed shop owner the money and put it into a sword case that he received. He glanced over to Johei who also received a case for his yari. Loki casually leaned on one of the display cases.

" _You guys all set?"_

Both boys nodded.

"Yeah, but how are we gonna carry this around without looking suspicious?"

Kazuhiko thought back.

 _Didn't Hanamura-san and Narukami-san get in trouble for something like this?… Nah._

" _There is no need to be worried about the law enforcement! Seeing you in full battle armor is a sure sign that you are on an important mission! You should even show off your skills! They shall gladly shower you with respect!"_ Tyr told them.

"Or restraining orders" Johei mumbled.

Kazuhiko thought and looked around. He spied a bunch of teenagers with baseball bags with bat handles protruding from the side.

"How about getting those bags? We can just tell them we're going to the batting cages." Kazuhiko suggested.

Johei's face lit up.

"Yeah! Good idea! Let's go get some bags too. Come on, Loki… Loki?"

Loki was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly a shrill scream came from the other side of the shelf.

"Let's go!"

Johei ran to the side ready for anything to find Loki behind a woman with his hands close to her rear.

"Loki? What the heck are-"

"Oh, so you're the one who touched my ass, right?" The girl yelled at Johei, not noticing Loki.

Johei realized the situation he was in.

"What?! Oh no, I didn't do anythi-"

*buzz*

*ZAP*

"OWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Kazuhiko walked around the corner to see Johei on the ground and the woman he was talking to. She had a taser in her hand and a murderous look on her face. She looked up at Kazuhiko and he quickly withdrew.

"Are you his friend?"

The situation was dire. Any answer he could give to the woman would have an effect. Either he could come clean and tell her that he was and risk getting tased by her, or betray Johei and tell her he didn't know him. Unfortunately, Johei was still conscious.

"Kaz? That you man? Dude, my balls are giving me hell right now. Owww."

The woman walked slowly to Kazuhiko, taser acting up. Kazuhiko walked backwards and bumped into a wall. No escape.

"And you were in on this too, weren't you? You'll pay for that, you pervert!"

Kazuhiko looked at Tyr for help, but found him chanting.

" _We have gathered here today to mourn for the death of two young boys. They met their end when they faced the most horrible of all beasts: The wrath of women."_

 _5:10 PM_

 _Matsuhito Hotel_

Johei and Kazuhiko sat on the chairs in Kazuhiko's room in the hotel.

"Dude, I have a feeling that life's gonna get tougher from here on out."

Kazuhiko nodded. They managed to get to the hotel thanks to Mikan. She was walking around when she noticed Kazuhiko getting tased and Johei on the ground unconscious. Out of the goodness of her heart, the two were carried into the hotel, with the help of the store owner, to rest and recall their scenario. Tyr and Loki just followed along, not seeming to be affected by their partners' pain.

Kazuhiko thought for a moment.

 _Wait, Personas are basically a part of us right? Figments of our hidden selves. Loki was the one who touched that lady's junk, so in extension…_

"Hey, Johei."

"Hm? What's u-"

*BAM*

"OW! What the hell was that for?!"

"That was for being a pervert on the inside. Loki's a pervert because of you."

The Personas were nearby and heard the comment.

" _Excuse me, but did you just call me a pervert? I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of keeping my own desires in check."_

" _So you didn't sexually harass that woman?"_ Tyr asked.

" _No, I did do that. I regret nothing."_

Kazuhiko sighed at his luck. Thankfully, Tyr was sophisticated enough to not try anything. Johei, on the other hand, was basically handed a death sentence.

"Loki, you gotta stop doing that. What happens if I die? Wouldn't you get affected?"

Loki thought for a moment, then replied.

" _You know what? I think I did feel some of your pain, but it was a bit nulled. Probably a good idea not to do that again."_

Johei, satisfied with Loki's answer, got up.

"Well, I'm outta here. I'll see you tomorrow, Kaz."

Johei walked out the door and bumped into Mikan.

"Oh, hey Mika-senpai. I need to go for now so-"

Mikan grabbed Johei's shoulder and dragged him back into the room. She looked furious at the two boys.

"Alright, you two are going to tell me what you've been up to!"

Kazuhiko and Johei exchanged looks and Johei casually replied.

"What do you mean Mika-senpai? We were just ha-"

Mikan threw Johei into the chair and blocked the exit.

"Don't give me that! Yesterday, you came back to your apartment beaten up! This morning, you were mumbling to people who didn't exist! Earlier, you two were in a weapons shop and a crazy women tased you both in the balls! Now I ask again; WHAT! ARE! YOU! UP TO?!"

The two shrank into their seats, hesitant to answer. Kazuhiko spoke up.

"Well, Mika-senpai… We're not sure if you would believe us… if we told you."

Mikan stared at them for what seemed like hours until she finally spoke.

"After… School… Mall… You show me what you've been doing… Got it?"

The two quickly nodded. With that, Mikan walked out leaving Kazuhiko and Johei alone with their Personas.

" _Kazuhiko… you should mind what you say around her..."_

Loki rolled his eyes.

" _No shit, Sherlock. Then again, I do like women the same way Johei likes food: Hot with a little kick to them."_

"Please don't do anything to her… I don't think my future children can take anymore beatings..."

 **So, this was just a comedy chapter. Next chapter will have Mikan in the Mirror Dimension! Still working on what her Persona should look like so hang in there. I'm also coming up with the "Teddie" of this fic, so please suggest anything if you think it's worthwhile.**

A day in the life of Johei

 _Morning_

"*yawn*, alright, time to get up! Wait, why is my stuff on the ceiling? Why are my sheets nailed to the floor? AHHH!"

*crash*

"LOKI!"

 _During a test_

"What is the square root of-"

"THE STORY OF MY LIFE! I TAKE HER HOME!"

"Johei! Is that your phone?!"

"What! That's not my ringtone!"

"CHALK FURY ATTACK!"

*TONK*

 _At the mall_

"Hm, maybe I should try this place out for lu-"

"AAAAAHHHH! You again! Didn't learn your lesson last time, did you?!"

"Wait! That wasn't me! I swear!"

*ZAP*

 _Elsewhere…_

Tyr: _"You have no shame whatsoever, do you?"_

Loki: " _I regret nothing!"_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, hey everybody! Dangstaboy here! Sorry for the wait, but I was working on my character list for my HOTD fanfic. I'd like to make a special shout out to RosyMiranto18 and adtauthor22; you guys have been doing the most reviews for my fanfiction and I'd like to say I really appreciate it (*sniff* I really do). Please keep up the good work with all the reviews and follows! Remember, I'm all ears for suggestions so no need to be shy and speak your mind. Also, Happy fourth of July guys! But enough with my intro, please enjoy chapter 8!**

 **CHAPTER 8**

Neo-Featherman?

 _(August 12, 2021)_

 _Kyuto High, Front gates_

 _Morning_

" _Kazuhiko, are you sure that this is the wisest choice we are making?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko sighed. The agreement with Mikan had kept him up all night, wondering what to do. Most of that time was Tyr asking him the exact same question.

"Yes, Tyr. There's no way she'd let us out of her sight now that she suspects us of something. It's best to just come clean. She'll believe it when she sees it."

Tyr looked slightly disappointed in Kazuhiko's answer, but stayed silent for the remainder of the walk. Upon entering the classroom, Johei walked up to him with Loki in tow.

"'Sup Jo- Holy crap dude!"

Johei sighed as if he had been used to this reaction many times. His face had multiple slap marks that seemed fresh.

"Yeah, I know. Consider yourself lucky that your Persona isn't as perverted as this guy." Johei jerked his thumb to Loki who was snickering to himself.

" _So many cute girls in this school! I think entire second year female population made their mark on him, literally!"_

"You poor, poor soul"

The bell rang at that moment and everyone took their seats. Mr. Ozuma walked into the classroom with his usual scowl.

"Alright everyone! Settle down. I have an important announcement to make!"

The class soon became silent when they noticed a girl next to Mr. Ozuma at the front. She appeared to be only slightly Japanese, but the majority of her features pointed to her heritage being European.

"I'd like to tell you all that we shall be receiving more transfer students in a few months."

Several students whispered to each other. It wasn't normal to have transfer students that late in the year. Mr. Ozuma slapped his book on the desk.

"For the time being, I shall assign their seats near the left side of the classroom. Transfer students have to stick together."

 _11:50_

 _Lunchtime_

 _Rooftop_

Johei and Kazuhiko decided to discuss their current situation on the roof.

"So, Mika-senpai's gonna see what this is all about, but should we really tell her the truth?"

Kazuhiko nodded with a serious look.

"Yes; She can tell whether we're lying or not. I can keep a straight face and control myself, but you, on the other hand, have a 'tell' that'll give us away."

Johei looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"You scratch the back of your head when you lie."

Johei stood up.

"What? No I don't!"

"Fine, then. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you've had a legitimate girlfriend before."

Johei nodded.

"I have had a real girlfri- Goddamnit!"

Johei's hand shot right to the back of his head before he could even finish his sentence.

"Shut up Loki!"

Johei yelled his last remark as if it were an instinct, but Loki was nowhere to be seen. Johei turned around, expecting to see Loki, but couldn't find him anywhere.

"Loki? Hey, where are you?"

Kazuhiko started to get a bad feeling. Loki then appeared from the staircase, with somebody close by.

"Hey, Shiroka-san. I found the note you wrote me in my locker."

Johei backed up with a horrified look. Loki just floated in midair laughing his head off. Kazuhiko and Tyr just stayed where they were.

"Nikano-chan! This was all just a big mistake! I didn't write that letter! I swear it wasn't me!"

Nikano, who happened to be an estimated 400 pounds, was one of the most narcissistic girls of the second years. Kazuhiko remembered a story Narukami had told him when he was a second year. He, Hanamura-san, and Kanji-kun were out in Okina city hoping to get a girl's phone number. Hanamura-san ended getting a number only to be tricked and called their classmate, Hanako. Just thinking back on the moment was enough for Kazuhiko to imagine what was going to happen next.

"I just wanted to say that I'm flattered by your words. I'm going to take advantage of this, what did you say it was? Sexual connection of the lips of two lovers?"

"Okay, now I'm outta here."

Kazuhiko and Tyr walked/floated to the staircase ignoring the pleas of help from Johei and the hyena-like cackles of Loki.

 _2:45 PM_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

 _Afterschool_

"What the hell was that for?!"

Johei stood right in front of Kazuhiko's desk, clearly pissed off.

"First, you get to sit next to the transfer student, then you leave me to have the life sucked out of me with that ogre that calls herself a woman! What else are you going to do to me?!"

Thankfully, Iselin had left earlier, so she didn't hear Johei's retorts.

"Forget it Johei. Besides, we have bigger problems to worry about."

Just as Kazuhiko said that, Mikan walked into the classroom.

"Alright, show me what you two are up to."

Mikan looked all business, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. It was as if she sent them a mental message that said 'Don't bullshit with me'. Johei sighed.

"Okay, okay Mika-senpai. Let me just get my stuff. I'll be right back."

Johei excused himself leaving Kazuhiko with Mikan. Kazuhiko already had his gear in his baseball bag. So he didn't need to go anywhere.

"I thought I told you to make sure he didn't do anything that he would later regret." Mikan scolded.

Kazuhiko sighed deeply and replied to her.

"Don't worry. He didn't do anything bad. You'll see when we show you."

Mikan, although obviously dissatisfied with Kazuhiko's answer, stopped badgering him and waited patiently for Johei's return. Moments later, Johei came back into the class with his bag.

"Okay, Mika-senpai. Let's go."

 _3:30 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

 _Afterschool_

"So, this is what you two have been doing?"

Mikan looked at her own reflection in the mirror; Kazuhiko and Johei standing by her side.

"Well, not exactly, but just step on in."

Mikan looked back at Johei with a face full of anger.

"You expect me to just do this?! Am I some type of idiot to you? You're obviously lying!"

Kazuhiko sighed. He had expected as much. Mikan definitely wouldn't buy into the truth that the two told her. Johei, who also came to this realization, sighed as well.

"I know it sounds absurd, but believe us!"

Mikan continued to glare at him until Johei gave in.

"Fine! I'll do it myself."

Johei placed his palm on the glass and his entire hand passed through. Mikan shrieked and hid behind Kazuhiko.

"What the heck?!"

Johei pulled his hand back and beckoned Mikan to try.

"Go on, it's not a trick."

Mikan slowly moved to the mirror. She remembered the weird QR code that Johei showed her and told her to scan. Her phone had downloaded a new app that she couldn't recognize, but it seemed safe and didn't take much data so she was fine with it. She presses her hand on the mirror, and felt the sensation of sinking into water.

Tyr and Loki were floating behind Kazuhiko and Johei as they watched Mikan disappear into he mirror.

" _So, you guys think she's gonna let you keep doing this?"_ Loki asked

Johei nodded, obviously not worried

"Don't worry, once she comes back we'll show her the stuff we got and prove to her that we'll be fine."

Kazuhiko, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

"I don't know… Mika-senpai shows a lot of concern. If it's something she doesn't understand, she'll probably won't be fine with this."

The four waited for another minute, hoping to see Mikan come back.

" _Shouldn't she be back by now?"_ Loki asked.

Johei shifted his weight.

"Yeah, she would have tried to come back by now. Maybe we should check on her."

Johei walked into the mirror with Loki while Kazuhiko and Tyr stood by. A split second later, Johei poked his head back.

"Dude, senpai's not here! The place even changed!"

Kazuhiko looked puzzled.

"Changed? What do you mean, changed?"

Johei rolled his eyes and grabbed Kazuhiko's hand, trying to pull him in.

"Just hurry up!"

 _Mirror Dimension_

 _?_

Kazuhiko stepped into the Mirror Dimension, expecting to see the mall, but he got a surprising scene instead.

"What the hell happened here?"

The place he was standing in was still the mall that he knew, but it looked as if it had a darker feel to it. The stores were closed and black slime-like webbing coated the doors, making them impossible to open. Everything looked worn down, as if the mirror was a time-traveling device that sent them centuries into the future. Outside, the sky was reddish black with just enough light to see the path. Overall, the place looked like shit. Mikan was nowhere in sight.

"Mika-senpai! Where are you?!" Johei called, but nobody answered.

"Huh, where could she have gone?"

The two heard a bubbling noise and looked over to the balcony railing. There was a black and red ooze that 'climbed' it's way up to the floor.

" _Kazuhiko! It's a shadow!"_ Tyr said.

Kazuhiko readied himself and drew his sword, Johei doing likewise with his yari. The shadow finally pulled itself onto the floor and split into three parts. The parts solidified into large wooden statues that had four masks attached to each of their heads. The masks constantly switched around, as if the shadows were communicating to each other.

"Johei, I'll take the one on the right!"

Kazuhiko ran up to the statue and leaped into the air, swinging his sword down on one of the masks. The sword broke on of the masks in half only for it to be replaced by the next one.

"Garu!"

A gust of wind blew one of the shadows over the edge and smashed on the ground below. Kazuhiko turned to see Johei with broken chains attached to his wrists, Loki extending his hand.

" _Kazuhiko!"_

Kazuhiko turned just in time to dodge the **Agi** the statue cast. His arms singed slightly, feeling the intensity of the flame. Kazuhiko felt chains form on his wrists and quickly broke them.

"Zio!"

Tyr extended his right hand to the sky, absorbing a lightning bolt, and discharged it towards the shadow. The statue fell on the ground, charred, and disintegrated into dust. One last shadow remained.

Kazuhiko and Johei cast looks at each other before charging the shadow. The shadow, recognizing the danger of the situation, turned and tried to run. Suddenly, the sound of a blade being pulled out of it's sheath rang into the air. Johei and Kazuhiko looked around, trying to identify the location of where it came from.

"Hey, Kaz, did you hear that?"

"What was tha-"

The shadow in front of them suddenly split apart and fell to the ground in pieces. Behind it, was a humanoid figure with something that looked like a falcon mask. Kazuhiko couldn't tell what the figure was due to it's body being covered with shadow slime and dust, and with slightly reddish hair with long bangs that covered half of the mask.

"Who are you four?" The person asked.

"Four?" Johei asked.

It took a moment for the boys and Personas to realize, but the person could see the Personas. Kazuhiko questioned the person.

"Wait, you can see them?"

The person nodded.

"Yes, I can. Now answer my question: Who are you?"

Tyr answered the person.

" _These two young men here are Kazuhiko Sukima and Johei Shiroka. I am Tyr, Kazuhiko's Persona. This is Loki, Johei's Persona."_

The person nodded, understanding the situation.

"Next question, what are you doing here?"

Kazuhiko answered this time.

"We're here trying to look for our friend. She didn't come back."

The person nodded again, and with all of his questions asked, he lowered his rapier and sheathed it. Johei seemed to have questions in mind for the newcomer but didn't follow on with them.

"Pst, hey Kaz." Johei whispered.

Kazuhiko turned his ear to Johei.

"Ask him something."

 _Okay then_ Kazuhiko thought. _What should I ask him? Obviously the place has changed over the past two days. He looks like he's been around here so…_

"Are you cosplaying as one of the Feathermen?"

 _Dangit!_

The person drew back, being surprised by this question and shook it's head. Johei sighed and asked the question himself.

"What happened here? It wasn't like this when we were here before."

Falcon mask spoke.

"It's because of mankind."

Johei looked confused.

"Is this going to be one of those rants where people blame stuff on mankind like global warming?"

Falcon mask shook his head, as if annoyed by Johei's stupidity.

"No, this place reflects upon mankind's intentions. The only reason why it's this bad is because something powerful is stirring."

"And I did not understand a single thing you just said. Anyways, did you see our friend? She should be around here somewhere."

The Falcon turned and walked to the exit of the mall, beckoning for the boys and the Personas to follow.

"I can bring you there but I can't help you any further. Shadow nests are too dangerous to storm through without a Persona."

After walking through a neighborhood that Kazuhiko didn't recognize, they came to a large clearing where the two boys had fought with each other the previous time they were here.

"Is that…" Kazuhiko started.

Falcon mask nodded.

"Yes. A shadow nest. The nest where mankind's evil intentions and desires are birthed."

Falcon mask began to walk off into the distance, away from the nest. Johei noticed this and called out to the Falcon mask.

"Wait! We will see you again, right? What do we call you?"

Falcon mask stopped for a moment.

 _What is this feeling?_ He thought. _They really want to know who I am? Seems that they haven't spent a long time in here._

Finally settling on an answer, Falcon mask spoke.

" **Hayabusa**. Call me Hayabusa. As for your other question, we might see each other in the future..."

With that, Falcon left the four. Loki began brought everyone's attention back to the situation at hand.

" _Well, now that Mike Hawk showed us where that hot lady friend of yours' is, I say we go get her before she gets killed. Shall we?"_

Kazuhiko nodded. Being a leader figure, he felt responsibility for his team. Right now, to ensure their motivation, he needed to give a speech.

"Alright guys. Mika-senpai's in there. We're her only hope of getting out of here alive. No matter what, we won't abandon her to her death."

Johei nodded.

"Okay then! Besides, that guy said it was too dangerous to go into a nest without a Persona. We got Personas and weapons. How hard can it be?"

 _One hour later_

" _You just had to say to that, didn't you?"_ Loki said.

Johei was bent over and leaning on his knees, panting. Kazuhiko felt tired as well, but was able to keep himself upright by leaning on his sword like a cane. Loki and Tyr, on the other hand, looked fine; slightly tired from the battles, but fine nonetheless.

" _Kazuhiko, we have to hurry to save your friend."_ Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded and wiped his brow and flicked the sweat off his hand.

 _Wait a second_ Kazuhiko thought. _I still had that can of Boost with me, didn't I?_

He checked his backpack and found the can. He popped open the can and drank deeply, feeling the energy flowing back to him. Tyr also felt the sensation of the drink.

" _This feeling! That magical liquid is renewing my strength!"_ Tyr said, excitedly.

Loki and Johei noticed the two.

"What?! Dude, please tell me you got another can."

Kazuhiko felt bad for him, so he tossed another can to Johei.

"Thanks man!" Johei said.

Johei began to open the can before Kazuhiko realized what he did.

 _*FUSH*_

Half the contents of the soda went full auto into Johei's face. Loki began laughing while Kazuhiko quickly apologized. Tyr, however, looked in awe.

" _My goodness! It seemed that there was a monster hiding inside of the can! A rather low level monster, but reaping it might prove useful!"_

Johei sighed and sipped the remainder of the drink.

"So, how far do you think Mika-senpai is?"

Kazuhiko looked around and found a door at the bottom of the stairs. He felt a strong presence behind it. Tyr, who also felt the presence spoke up.

" _She's behind that door, I can sense it."_

Johei perked up. Loki felt the effects of the Boost sharpen his skills.

"Alrighty then! Let's get her out of here!"

Kazuhiko nodded and walked to the door.

 **Hey guys! So, sorry for the wait on this chapter. I was thinking of Mikan's Persona, Hayabusa's character, and the answers for Johei. I hope you all have a great fourth of July! Without further ado, let's go interview Johei!**

Dangstaboy: Hello everybody! Welcome to the aftershow interview! I'm your host, Dangstaboy! Tonight, we're here with a new guest! Please give a warm welcome to Johei Shiroka!

 _(Audience claps)_

Johei: Where the hell am I?

Dangstaboy: Hey there, Johei! Welcome to the after show! The audience has a couple questions for you tonight that they want answers to!

Johei: Didn't Kaz tell me he had a dream like this before?

Dangstaboy: Alrighty then! First question. This one's from RosyMiranto18! What do you think about pancakes? Do you like it or not?

Johei: Well, pancakes are pretty good! I really like the ones from I.H.O.P.E, but it costs so much. I've made some at home, but I probably won't do it again.

Dangstaboy: Really? Why's that?

Johei: Well, Loki's been playing pranks on me all the time. Last time I tried making pancakes, he switched the eggs with those gag eggs and the chocolate chips with rabbit $#!t from the neighbor.

Dangstaboy: O...kay… on to the next question, I guess. Did you know about Goro Akechi? If so, what do you think about him?

Johei: You mean the second Detective Prince? Yeah, I've heard about him. He seems a bit snooty, but he does get a lot of popularity. Personally, I'd rather prefer the first Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane. Never really liked Akechi-san, though. Against the Phantom thieves when they were obviously doing good for the people! Strange how he suddenly disappeared though. Wonder what happened to the guy.

Dangstaboy: Okay, thanks! Last question: What happened between you and Nikano-chan?

Loki: Oh! I can answer that!

Johei: Wait, what the- Loki?! How the *beep* are you here?! What the *beep* are you doing here? That encounter was your *beep* fault you piece of *beep*.

Dangstaboy: Uh, hold on Johei. Quit cussing. This place doesn't allow profanity or else you'll be transported back immediately.

Loki: Well, I can still answer for him! They were-

Johei: Don't you *beep* dare you sick son of a *beep*. Get the *beep* out of here!

(Johei and Loki vanish)

Dangstaboy: … Okay, I guess that concludes the interview. Our next guest will be Mikan in chapter 10! Keep those questions rolling, post comments on the review about this fanfic, and good night everybody!


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! So, I just want to say that your comments mean a lot to me; I'm not doing this out of routine, but I felt that your reviews are really what drives me to make more chapters of this fanfic. Please keep up the work. I'll even add in some bonus chapters that have nothing to do with the story and will be just for fun, but I need to know what you guys want. Also, I finally came up with Mikan's Persona! It actually fits well with the Social link I was planning for her, so it's a win-win! Also, I plan to make Johei's social link a progressive link, it'll mature over the course of the story by having Kazuhiko remember the events before he left Nuzoko for the first time.**

 **CHAPTER 9**

 _August 12, 2021_

 _Mirror Dimension; Shadow Nest_

 _Floor 9_

Kazuhiko placed his hands on the door. He knew Mikan was on the other side and hoped she didn't merge with a shadow yet. Johei, Loki and Tyr were right behind him, waiting for him to open the door.

"Alright, here goes nothing."

Kazuhiko pushed the door open to see a large room. In the middle were four pillars; two of the pillars, opposite of each other, had chains attached to them and were holding somebody up to prevent them from resting on the floor. That person had long black hair.

"Mika-senpai!" Johei shouted.

Mikan weakly looked up in their direction.

"K-Kazu...hiko-san? Jo...hei-kun?" Mikan said.

Kazuhiko took note of her injuries, as if someone beat her.

" _Kazuhiko!"_ Tyr said.

" _I sense another presence in this room."_

Kazuhiko quickly brandished his sword and surveyed the area. His eyes stopped at a tall figure in the dark corner of the room.

"Hey! Who are you?" Johei called out.

The figure stayed silent, then turned to the window.

"Time shall tell. Until then, I shall only watch over your actions."

The figure jumped through the window and disappeared from sight. Johei quickly ran to the window.

"Kaz! Come on! We gotta catch him!"

Kazuhiko nodded but then stopped. He looked at the ground and saw a tiny black/red slime crawling towards him. It passed him and made it's way to Mikan.

"They… they died… because of me..." Mikan muttered.

Kazuhiko realized what was happening and yelled to Johei.

"Johei! She's turning! Help me!"

Johei wheeled around and saw the shadows crawling on the Mikan's chains.

"I was gifted… with beauty… but it… was also a curse."

Shadows crawled onto her arms now. Johei rushed over and threw his spear at the chains. The spear hit the chains, but they didn't falter.

"What the hell?" Johei said.

"People… would try to make me… sleep with them..."

The shadows had completely covered her lower body.

"Kaz, why didn't it work?! It should have broken into pieces!" Johei retorted.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"I don't know, but let's keep hacking at it before she gets completely covered." Kazuhiko ran to Mikan and prepared to swing his sword when…

*Splat*

"Ah!"

Kazuhiko fell back after being blown away. Tyr rushed to his side.

" _Are you alright? What happened?"_

Kazuhiko rubbed his head and got back onto his feet.

"I think I hit a wall… but nothing's there..."

"The people… who wanted to protect me… they ended up getting hurt… or worse."

The shadows covered Mikan's torso and were creeping up on her neck.

"Mika-senpai!" Johei shouted.

"Don't give into the shadows! Don't give into despair!"

Mikan didn't listen to him, or maybe couldn't hear him. The shadows covered her eyes.

"That's why my parents died… That's why… I don't deserve… to live."

Mikan was suddenly pulled into a cage where a chain attached to her neck and melded with the ceiling of the cage. The chains on her arms were attached to the ground. Mikan hung there with her eyes closed, as if she were accepting death. Shadows began to cover the cage until it formed a torso of the cage. From it, sprouted ten arms; each carrying a weapon or a shield made of ice. The head sprouted to make a white mask with blue markings around the right eye. Icicles grew downwards from the head giving the impression of hair. Shoulder pads had thorns sprouting out along the flat sides. Hard ice encased the hands to make wickedly sharp claws. The entire body was made of cold black steel. Half of it's body was in the floor below. As if the being weren't terrifying enough for the boys, the monstrous height of 50 feet ensured that they would have pissed their pants. Johei, much to Loki's amusement, did.

"Sh-Shut up you asshole!" Johei yelled to Loki who was snickering. The shadow spoke.

" _If you get in the way of her goal, you shall perish!"_

The shadow swung one of the weapons down at Johei.

"Crap!"

Johei dove to the side, narrowly missing the blade. Kazuhiko saw his opportunity.

"Tyr!" Kazuhiko yelled as he broke his chains.

" _Cleave!"_ Tyr yelled as he swung his sword at the arm.

The arm slightly dented. The shadow didn't seem to have felt any pain as it pulled it's sword out of the ground. The ground had been cleanly sliced through by the sword's edge.

"Shit!" Johei yelled as another arm swung at him. This time, it held a bludgeon. The ground cracked when it came in contact with the heavy weapon and Johei was put of the way once again.

"Sorry if this hurts you, Mika-senpai. Persona!" Johei yelled.

" _Garu!"_ Loki said as he summoned a small whirlwind towards the shadow.

The shadow stumbled backwards, but retained it's balance. It shook off the attack and went back to fighting them.

" _Kazuhiko! None of our attacks are doing much damage."_ Tyr said.

Kazuhiko grunted as he dodged a a swing from the shadow.

"Tell me something I didn't know." Kazuhiko said.

" _Well, okay then. Maybe you didn't know about-"_

"I didn't mean that literally!"

Kazuhiko broke his chains and cast a spell.

" _Zio!"_ Tyr shouted.

The blast of lightning didn't have much of an effect on the shadow. The shadow, in fact, seemed to absorb the lightning and attacked with much more ferocity.

" _Enough of these games! Time for you all to die!"_

The shadow circled it's arms around itself and a massive amount of energy appeared above it. Tyr realized what it was doing.

" _Kazuhiko! Shield yourself!"_

Kazuhiko placed his sword in front of him just in time before the shadow cast it's spell.

" _Mabufu!"_

Ice formed on Kazuhiko's body and broke immediately. The shards cut through his skin and he began to bleed.

"Damnit!" Kazuhiko heard Johei shout.

He turned around to see Johei who had his feet stuck to the ground because of the ice. The shadow took it's club and swung it at him.

Time began to slow for Johei. The club was three feet away from him. He closed his eyes, waiting for impact while shielding himself with his spear.

*clang*

Johei opened his eyes to see Loki in front of him, blocking the attack with his arms.

" _You gonna move or what?"_ Loki asked Johei.

Johei finally took a hint and tried prying himself out of the ice with his spear, but it didn't do any good.

"It's not breaking!" Johei yelled.

Loki grunted; He couldn't stand his ground any longer.

" _What a nuisance."_ The shadow said as it swung it's club.

Loki and Johei were both hit by it and were sent flying. Loki hit the ground and rolled a little bit. Johei flew into the wall and landed on the ground. Both were unconscious and didn't show any signs of getting up soon. The shadow brandished it's swords, ready to deal the killing blow. Kazuhiko couldn't do anything about it.

 _I can't do anything! I can't help my friends, or even save myself! What is wrong with me?!_

Kazuhiko fell to his knees. His tears streaming down his face and hitting the floor. Then, a voice rang into his head.

 _Yes you can._

Kazuhiko looked up. Tyr was nowhere to be found, yet he could still hear the voice.

 _You can help him. After all, you are friends._

Suddenly, a card appeared before his eyes.

"The… the magician?"

 _The ability to use your own potential. You have an unlimited potential, wild card!_

The card disappeared and chains began to form on Kazuhiko's wrists. A small smile crept up onto his face once again.

 _What are you waiting for? I want some in on this action!_

Kazuhiko pulled at the chains on his wrists. They slightly cracked, letting a light shine from them. Kazuhiko pulled harder until they broke, the chain links flying everywhere.

" _Agi!"_

The shadow's swords swung down, but when they were about to connect with Johei and Loki, they melted.

" _What?!"_ The shadow cried.

It turned around to look at Kazuhiko. He still looked the same; standing with his sword in his right hand. What was different, was his Persona. Where Tyr once stood, there was a new Persona. It had a carved pumpkin head and a witch's hat. It didn't have a visible body, but it was holding onto a lantern with a gloved hand. To top it off, it was clothed in a black cloak. It closed it's lantern which had spewed fire.

" _Whee! That was fun!"_ The Persona said.

Kazuhiko rested his sword on his shoulder and rolled his neck around.

"You ready to do this, **Pyro Jack?** " Kazuhiko asked.

Pyro Jack jumped with joy.

" _Hell yeah! Let's go!"_

The shadow went back to it's serious nature. It raised it's clubs and swung them all down towards Kazuhiko. Kazuhiko broke his chains and cast a spell.

" _Agi!"_

The clubs all melted into water, and soon, the shadow didn't have anymore weapons. Johei finally got up, leaning on his spear for support. Kazuhiko was now at a running pace. Pyro Jack blasting the shadow multiple times with Agi spells.

" _Hey"_ Loki said.

Johei looked at him.

" _I have a plan, but I'll need you to help me with it."_

Johei lent him his ear and listened. A sly smile grew on his face. Kazuhiko jumped into the air, his sword held downwards towards the mask.

"hhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Kazuhiko stabbed his sword into the mask of the shadow and leaped back. He shattered his chains once more and cast another Agi. The shadow slumped and fell onto it's knees, the sword was still embedded in it's head.

"You… It's going… to take more… than that to… kill me." The shadow said.

 _Luckily, we do have more!"_ Loki shouted out.

Loki was standing on a pillar, hunched on his knees with his hands holding onto the edge of the pillar. Johei stood by him, smiling as if he just won the lottery.

" _Garu!"_ Loki yelled as he summoned a tornado.

Without a moment's hesitation, he dove in and curled into a ball; the blades on his body all facing the same direction: The shadow. The garu tornado spun towards the shadow with Loki inside of it.

" _Oh, shit."_

*shink*

*slice*

 **Would've taken too long to type all the sounds so let's get right to the point.**

The shadow fell back on the ground, the shadows meting away until Mikan was on the ground, her chains pinning her down to the floor. Kazuhiko looked back at Johei stunned.

"Holy crap, man! You actually used your brain for once!" Kazuhiko said.

"Hell's yeah I did! That went absolute- wait… did you just insult me?"

"Uh… no. Anyways..."

The party of four looked back to Mikan.

"Why…?" Mikan asked.

Kazhuiko stepped forward.

"Why… did you save me?"

Kazuhiko walked towards Mikan.

"You of all people… should want me dead..."

Kazuhiko stopped right in front of her. Mikan looked up at him.

"Your first day, you got sent to the hospital because of me. Why are you saving me now?"

"Did those other people want to see you suffer?"

Mikan stopped whereas Kazuhiko continued.

"Those people suffered to save you. They wanted to see you live on happily. Even your parents did that. The parents would always die for their child."

Mikan's eyes started to tear up. She saw the many faces that passed by her that sacrificed their lives just so she could be happy. Yes, even Kazuhiko's face. Strangely, she remembered when he used his face to shield her, and that was the exact face she remembered. This just about ruined the moment for her.

"Pft- hahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA!"

 _The scary resemblances between my friends here and in Inaba…_

It took a while for Mikan to calm down. Finally, she looked serious.

"But what can I do now? I don't want people to suffer because of me."

Johei jumped in on his chance.

"Well, maybe you can hook up with a super cool and strong guy like moi?"

Mikan face suddenly fell into a glare and she got up and broke her chains; Just to punch Johei in the face. Johei hit the ground with Kazuhiko, Tyr, and Loki looking at him; with a look of amusement, pity, disappointment or, in Mikan's case, just not giving a shit.

Mikan crossed her arms and faced Kazuhiko.

"Well, now that this is all over, where do we go to get outta here?"

Kazuhiko smiled at Mikan's old self and picked up Johei as he beckoned her to follow. For a split second, though, Kazuhiko saw a shining figure behind her. Before his eyesight could filter the light, it vanished.

"What th-"

"Hey! You coming?" Mikan shouted to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko turned to Mikan, then back to where the figure was.

 _Well, this'll be interesting. I wonder what her Persona's gonna be like._

 _(Evening)_

 _9:52 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

"UUUUUUGH!"

Mikan slumped onto the nearest bench. Kazuhiko did likewise along with Johei. Tyr and Loki looked tired, but continued to stand. They all looked like absolute crap.

"Well, that was an experience to remember." Mikan said.

The five had no encounters with any shadows after they rescued Mikan, much to their advantage. Johei, who was unconscious for the majority of the walk back, decided to speak up.

"So… we can keep coming back there?"

Kazuhiko mentally face-palmed himself whereas Mikan frowned at Johei.

"Absolutely not! There is no way I'm letting you two go in there alone!"

Loki coughed, trying to get Mikan's attention.

"I mean, four. No way I'm letting you four in there alone."

Loki slumped. Johei reassured him.

"Don't worry, man. It was worth a shot."

Kazuhiko and Johei looked downtrodden.

"Well, I guess we can return these weapons, since we're not using them anymore."

Johei began to stand up but Mikan quickly stopped him.

"I said, I'm not letting you four in there, alone. But, if I'm with you, that's another story."

Kazuhiko looked confused. Mikan, who almost died in the Mirror dimension actually…

"There is no way that you four are going in there without me!" Mikan shouted, her fists pumped.

Johei, seemed to be the most shocked out of everyone there, even more shocked than the elderly couple that was right in front of her.

"What?! Don't mess with my mind Mika-senpai! Besides, you don't even have a weapon to defend yourself! Much less, one of these guys!" Johei said while pointing his thumb to Tyr and Loki.

"Weapons, for me, are easy. I've got a couple of hunting crossbows from my grandparent's collection! Personas though, I'll just sleep on it."

Johei sputtered and tried to protest until Kazuhiko pulled him over.

"She's not gonna quit, Johei. We might as well just take up that offer. It's the most we're gonna get."

Johei sighed. Then he spoke.

"Alright, fine. But you can only come with us once you have a Persona. I'm actually serious on that part."

Mikan nodded in agreement and the five walked/floated out of the mall.

 _10 minutes later…_

Johei had split off at an intersection with Loki while Kazuhiko, Tyr and Mikan walked in the other direction. The atmosphere was quiet until Mikan broke the silence.

"So… what happened…? When I was out?"

Kazuhiko looked towards her, then at Tyr, questioning him if this would be a wise decision. After receiving an affirmative nod from Tyr, Kazuhiko turned back to Mikan.

"You said how you were guilty about all the people that got hurt because they wanted to protect you."

Mikan nodded. She slightly let her eyes droop, as if she just remembered something she wished that she didn't.

"About that..." Mikan began.

 _Here we go._ Kazuhiko thought. _Let's hear your story._

"Well, you weren't one to get hurt because of me. But you were lucky that you didn't get killed." Mikan said.

Kazuhiko thought back to his first day back in Nuzoko. _Yeah… that was pretty stupid to protect her with my face._ Mikan continued.

"Back in my first year, there was this teacher, Mr. Damosaba, that was rumored to have affairs with his students. He could never get pinned down because of the lack of evidence and the popularity he had at Kyuto. But one day, he held me after class and told me to sleep with him that night. He threatened to hurt my grandparents if I refused. I had no choice, so I waited for my grandparents to sleep, and then a waited outside so he could pick me up."

Kazuhiko listened intently. He hated these types of people. Just because they had authority, they thought they could abuse it and get away without any consequences.

"I started to walk into his car, until I reconsidered and backed away from the car. He then tried to pull me into the car. I tried screaming until I thought nobody was coming. But that's when… **He** came."

Kazuhiko was so engrossed in the story, he didn't realize he just passed the hotel a block before. Mikan noticed this for him and stopped.

"Oh! Sorry, I tend to ramble. I'll tell you another time." Mikan said.

Kazuhiko waved goodbye to Mikan as she walked down the road. Tyr watched intently.

" _You know, she reminds me someone I once knew."_ Tyr said.

Kazuhiko looked at him.

"Really? Who does she remind you of?"

The two headed to the front door of the hotel.

" _I don't remember, I did know that she couldn't save people close to her though. She is very strong and independent, but she can also be very… hard-headed."_

"So, she's a feminist?"

 _10:34 PM_

 _Mikan's house_

Mikan opened the door to her grandparent's house. Her grandmother and grandfather were probably asleep right now and put some leftovers in the refrigerator. Mikan sighed at having to reheat the food, but she didn't complain; she deserved it for being home late.

"I should probably apologize to them tomorrow."

She considered leaving them a note when she left for school and made a mental note to do that. The microwave beeped, signaling the end of reheating her stir fry. She took the takeout box out of the microwave, a pair of chopsticks out of the drawer and a glass of melon juice out of the fridge. She sat herself down at the table alone while she ate her food.

 _I need to do this for them. After all, I am their senpai. It's the responsible thing to do._ She thought to herself.

She stopped for a moment.

 _Quit lying to yourself, Mikan! You just want to protect them. Not that it's the right thing to do, but so you can redeem yourself; To make yourself feel better!_

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the voice in her head was right. Kazuhiko and Johei meant so much to her, as if they were her own brothers. Johei being the crazy brother into incest, but a brother nonetheless.

 _Yes. This time, I'll make sure nobody gets hurt. Nobody's going to hurt my friends on my watch!_

" _Could you not shout? Your grandparents are still sleeping."_

"Ah, right. I still have to- wait, who said that?"

Mikan turned around and saw a female figure that was 10 feet tall right behind her, stooping so it wouldn't hit it's head on the ceiling.

" _Also, finish your food quickly. You'll need to get more sleep if you want to recover from that experience."_

Mikan turned to her bottle, wondering if she accidentally grabbed a leftover bottle of beer.

 _(Morning)_

 _August 13, 2021_

 _Kyuto High, Front Gates_

"So, you think Mika-senpai's gonna be alright?" Johei asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"She didn't seem that hurt, so it's safe to say that she'll be up and about."

Johei looked like he felt really proud of himself, which Tyr questioned.

" _So, are you congratulating yourself on your success of saving Mikan?"_

Johei shook his head.

"As much as I would have done that, that's not why I'm so happy today."

Loki floated by, slumping his shoulders.

" _He saw right through all of my pranks. My life has no meaning now."_

The four headed inside the building when they were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey, you guys! Wait up for me!"

Mikan walked up to the four of them, smiling like she had won the lottery. Another thing to notice, were the bags under her eyes.

"Holy crap Mika-senpai!" Johei said.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night? The bags under your eyes are bigger than the cheeks of a chipmunk!"

" _Wait, really?"_

Loki zeroed in on Mikan's eyes and fell back laughing.

" _Hahahaha! They really are! Hahaha!"_

Mikan scowled at Loki, but went back to her cheerful look. Kazuhiko noticed this and decided to press on the subject.

"Well, you look cheerful today."

Mikan beamed to Kazuhiko.

"Indeed I am! Looks like I'll be joining you guys in the Mirror dimension!"

Johei paused for a second.

"Wait, you got a Persona?!"

Kazuhiko was surprised as well. Tyr seemed uneasy. Loki seemed happy.

" _Oh, really? Nice! Who is it? Where are they?"_

Tyr moved closer to Loki.

" _Loki, you might want to hide. Now."_

Loki looked confused.

" _What do you mean, hide? I want to meet this new guy!"_

" _I have a feeling that the Mikan's Persona is somebody you know very well..."_

Loki shook his head.

" _Well, come on. Where is your partner? Call them."_

Mikan nodded.

"Alright! You can come out now, **Skadi**!"

In less than a second, Loki's monitor face changed from it's usual Tom Hiddleston smile, to a Konami exclamation mark.

" _Wait… did you just say… **S-** **S-S** **kadi**?"_

Mikan looked confused.

"Yes, I did. Is there something wrong?"

Then, another female voice appeared.

" _You!"_

Everybody turned around to see a 10 foot tall woman in a fur cloak. Her right eye had tattoos around it while both eyes showed no pupils; Just a white light. Along her back, was a bow made of ice so pure, it took a few seconds to realize it was there. Her boots were made of animal skins and her two hands were encased in ice gauntlets. Loki's computer monitor played a video.

" _It was at this moment that he realized, he f*cked up."_

 **Sorry, but this part was not included in the published fanfiction for a number of reasons. Either it was too graphic that I would probably get banned for it or that I was too lazy to do it.**

 _2:45 PM_

 _Shigure's Restaurant_

The entire gang was seated at a table with their Personas behind them. They decided to order a meal so they could celebrate Mikan's addition to the team as well as Skadi's (much to Loki's protest).

"Well, I think this is a good start!" Johei said as he dug into his beef bowl.

Kazuhiko and Mikan did likewise, but at a much more civilized pace. Skadi was standing on one side with her arms crossed; Loki on another side with his monitor screen cracked and several error notifications; Tyr between the two to act as a peace keeper.

" _So, I know that you two don't have the best history together, bu-"_ Tyr started until Loki cut him off.

" _Oh yeah, sure. As if getting a snake to pour it's venom on your face daily is a little prank. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be hiding my face behind this computer screen!"_ Loki retorted.

Johei took a sudden interest in this.

"Wait, you can take that computer screen off your head? How come you never told me this?"

" _Well, you see, I'm all for scarring you for life, but you'd never quit poking at me for how terrible my face looks."_

Johei nodded.

"Fair enough."

And he continued to eat. Kazuhiko and Mikan, however, were engaged in a conversation.

"And you met a guys in a falcon mask named, Hayabusa?"

Kazuhiko nodded while he put his bowl down.

"Yeah. I couldn't tell if he was a shadow or human. It was pretty tough to figure out because of the mask and how he's got all that shadow slime on him."

Mikan pressed her index finger to her forehead as she thought deeply.

"We should ask him next time we're there. On the other side of things, what were you two planning on doing?"

Johei stopped chewing for a moment to answer her question.

"Bwell, bwe ver gona gho han fine Shuzhukhi's parhens han makh dem..."

"Talk to me when you're done chewing." Mikan said as she scooted her seat away from him.

Kazuhiko answered this time, luckily, without any food still in his mouth.

"Johei found out that we can make people do stuff out of guilt if we force their shadow to see their faults. So, we decided to make Suzuki's parents confess what they did to her and turn themselves in. That is, that was our plan until we had to rescue you."

Mikan nodded, and then saddened.

"So, you were going to make them pay for their crimes, but I got in the way..."

Kazuhiko realized what he just said and tried to fix his mistake.

"N-Not that it was a bad thing, really. We did want to help you too, so we decided to put Suzuki's parents on wait."

But Mikan didn't listen. Instead, she slammed her fist on the table.

"I swear that I'll do everything I can to help you two avenge Suzuki-chan!"

Kazuhiko and Johei both stared at her, along with everybody in the restaurant.

"Maybe we should get out of here." Johei said.

"Yeah, good idea. Check please." Kazuhiko said as he waved for the waiter to come to them.

Kazuhiko payed off the bill for everybody with the money they got from the Mirror Dimension (Shadows carry a lot of money!) and they all walked outside. Their Personas followed them while they walked down the street and to the subway station. Then, they suddenly heard a shriek.

"What was that?!" Kazuhiko asked as he turned around.

His eyes scanned the area until he finally looked up. There, on the building, were two adults; A man and a woman.

"W-Wait a minute. That's the same building Suzuki jumped off of!" Johei said.

"And, th-those people!" Mikan said, not daring to finish the sentence.

All three of the high schoolers were in shock of the two people. They were just the people they were talking about at the restaurant. They plotted to make them see justice and pay for their crimes. Those two people were on top of the building with a rope tied to their necks and the rail.

"Th-that's… Mr. and Mrs. Miura!"

 **Plot twist! Somehow, Suzuki's parents are commiting suicide! Why are they there? Is it a coincidence that it's the same tower Suzuki died at? That they are going to die the same way she did? Find out on the next Chapter! As always, please review, favorite, follow, or recommend to someone you know! It could be your brother, your sister, your friend, your neighbor, even your dog! Remember that Mikan is coming up in the next chapter for the interview, so ask some questions that you have in mind for her in the reviews! I apologize in advance if any of these jokes are offensive in any way to you. It contains pretty dark humor, so if you're not into that, just skip it.**

 _Loki's Horrible Puns_

Loki: Hey, Tyr.

Tyr: Hm? Yes?

Loki: What do you say to an amputee that falls down?

Tyr: If this has anything to do with me sacrificing my arm…

Loki: You look like you could use… **a hand**!

*ba-dum crash*

Loki: Hey, Elsa.

Skadi: Call me that again and you will die.

Loki: What do you do to guys that you want to reject?

Skadi: I swear, if this is one of your stupid jokes-

Loki: You give them the **cold shoulder**!

*ba-dum crash*

Loki: 'Sup Johei.

Johei: Why are you waking me up at 4 in the morning?

Loki: So you can get and train, of course!

Johei: What are you talking about? I don't train.

Loki: Sure you do! After all, I am your **Persona** l trainer!

*ba-dum crash*

Loki: Yo! Mikan!

Mikan: Oh no.

Loki: I've just recently gotten into this game called basketball!

Mikan: Could you please annoy somebody else?

Loki: I'm so good at it, everyone says I'm a **God**!

*ba-dum crash*

Loki: How's it going Kazuhiko?

Kazuhiko: I don't think I can take anymore of this.

Loki: Well you know what would make that frown into a smile?

Kazuhiko: No! No more puns! I am literally about to shoot myself if you make another pun!

Loki: …

Kazuhiko: …

Loki: Okay then. I'll stop.

Kazuhiko: Thank God!

Loki: I'll give it … my best **SHOT**!

*ba-dum crash*

 _In real life_

News Anchor: Good evening viewers at home. Our top story is about a new Fanfiction author going by the alias of "dangstaboy". He was found in front of his computer coming up with a new chapter, when he suddenly decided to shoot himself. The suicide is unknown for it's reason, but experts believe it is because of these horrible list of puns. Actually … oh God… These are really bad…

*bang*

 **Told you it was some pretty dark stuff. Anyways, I'd like to know which Persona game was your favorite! Not by gameplay, because it would obviously be Persona 5, but just the story and characters. I have to know if I'm not the only person who prefers Persona 4 Golden even after playing Persona 5. Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, hey guys! Quick shout out to this chapter's contributors for the interview! RosyMiranto18 and adtauthor22. You guys are awesome! People like you are the reason that I'm still writing this fanfic! Also, we just reached chapter 10! Break out the champagne! The next new OC won't be appearing in a while so hang tight! I will make two chapters in celebration of this both are part of the plot, but I wanted to do it. On a side note, has anyone read aiyumi's The Queen's plan? I've just read the latest chapter and really enjoyed it. Give it a read if you have the time! Tell me if you want me to do this, publishing two chapters at a time.**

 **CHAPTER 10**

Everyone stood there as Suzuki's parents jumped off the building at the same time; their necks making a horrible sound as the rope caught them. Time stopped for the six of them; everybody around them started to run, scream or call the police. The teenagers stared at the bodies as their chains disappeared without a trace. The trio stayed there even after the police had taken down the bodies and questioned them. Only after the commotion died down, did they go to the subway station.

The boys sat on either side of Mikan; the only noise being the subway train passing through the tunnel; the air filled with tension, confusion and despair. Johei finally took a hammer to the glass window of that silence.

"What do you think caused them to do that?"

Kazuhiko stood silent for a moment, then answered.

"They had chains on them that disappeared once they died. Suzuki-chan's death was the same."

Mikan's eyebrows curved into a confused state.

"Wait, you saw chains on her? How?" Mikan asked.

Johei questioned this as well.

"Yeah! I was the closest to her at the time, but I didn't see any chains."

Kazuhiko sighed and sat back with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Believe it or not, I saw them. I even told you guys too, but you didn't believe me."

Johei thought back and remembered.

"Oh yeah, I remember. I thought you were seeing things."

Tyr began shifting slightly, as if he was nervous. Kazuhiko saw this and asked him a question.

"Hey, Tyr. Do you know about any of this?"

Tyr was about to speak until Johei spoke up.

"Wait a minute! Those chains looked just like ours!"

Mikan and Kazuhiko turned to Johei in astonishment. Loki took it upon himself to make fun of this.

" _Wow! You actually used your brain for once!"_

Johei was about to yell at Loki, but thought better of it. Other people were in their car and would see him yelling at thin air. There was no point in having people call a hospital on him now. Mikan recovered from her shock.

"Yes, you're right. Those chains you two had on your wrists looked a lot like the ones Suzuki's parents had."

Kazuhiko knew that this couldn't be a coincidence. The cause of death, the same suicide spot, the chains disappearing, even that they were Suzuki-chan's parents. There was no way that it couldn't be noticed.

" _Well, maybe we should check the Mirror Dimension if there is anything happening in there"_ Skadi said.

The rest of the party nodded in agreement and made sure to meet up with each other after school tomorrow. Once they reached their stop, the three pairs went their separate ways. Kazuhiko soon found himself talking to Tyr again.

" _Kazuhiko, are you sure it's a good idea to keep Pyro Jack?"_ Tyr asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. He's the only one who can use fire spells, currently. We need to keep our arsenal large in case we run into some problems." Kazuhiko answered

Tyr didn't seem happy with this.

" _But Kazuhiko, haven't you noticed anything different ever since you summoned him?"_

Kazuhiko's eyebrows curved.

"What do you mean?"

" _Well, he and I are a part of you. We both can speak to you. I tend to be the only one that can be seen outside of the Mirror Dimension and he can't but he can still say things."_

"Tyr, what are you trying to say?"

" _Let's just say that his puns are even worse than Loki's."_

" _What are you talking about? Hee-hoo!"_ Pyro Jack asked inside Kazuhiko's head.

" _You don't know **Jack** about me! Hee-hoo!"_

" _And there's my proof."_ Tyr said.

"… Okay, I'll see if there's a way to get rid of him."

 _Velvet Room_

"There isn't a way to get rid of him." Igor said to Kazuhiko.

 _Okay! I think another part of me just died by hearing that._ Kazuhiko thought.

"However, there is a way to fuse Personas to make new ones out of those you have."

 _Wait! Hold on! It's breathing again! We need medics on the scene! Now!_

Kazuhiko let out a sigh of relief. He had been enduring way too many puns in one lifetime.

"It requires more then one Persona to fuse, so please come back to us when you have procured another Persona." Alexandria said.

Kazuhiko nodded and stepped out of the courtroom, leaving Alexandria and Igor alone to themselves.

"Master, you said before that he had acquired a Persona before stepping foot in here. He even acquired the ability of the wild card. If that is true, why does he not have more Personas. Personas that are stronger in fact." Alexandria asked Igor.

Igor smiled at her.

"Alexandria, you truly are the most accomplished assistant I have ever had in the time that I was the master of this room. Maybe looking into the past shall answer your questions. Kazuhiko's journey had to have started somewhere."

Alexandria bowed to him.

"Then, if you will excuse, I shall be making my way to the archives."

Alexandria walked to the next room but was stopped by Igor.

"Alexandria… whatever knowledge you discover in there about the current guest's situation, do not tell him anything about it. Knowledge comes with a price."

Alexandria nodded in understanding, then opened the door to the room with the archives. Igor continued to sit in his chair. He sighed deeply.

"Elizabeth… Theodore… Margaret… Lavenza… You four have always been my assistants in times of need. Though you have no more siblings among you, I hope that she shall do as well as you all."

 _(After School)_

 _4:23 PM_

 _Mikan's Home_

"*Sigh*, what a day!" Mikan said.

After she apologized to her grandparents, she went up to her room and fell on her bed. Skadi was right beside her and stayed floating while she watched her close her eyes.

" _Mikan, are you sure we can trust our comrades?"_ Skadi asked her.

Mikan looked back at Skadi questionably.

"What do you mean? Of course we can trust them. I've known Johei forever and Kazuhiko is trustworthy enough. He protected me from thugs on his first day here."

Skadi nodded.

" _I know we can trust them, but I was talking about their Personas. Tyr, I know well enough. He'll be alright. Loki on the other hand..."_

Mikan sat up.

"You can beat him up really bad. To the point where his screen said that there were many areas of physical damage and that they needed to be replaced. Why are you so worried about him?"

Skadi sat on the ground and sighed, as if she was used to being the only one to see the true nature of Loki.

" _He's an evil person! He tricked people into killing one another! He was the one to cause Ragnarok! He isn't any different now!"_ Skadi ranted.

"Well, if he is like what you say he is, wouldn't he have killed someone already? I mean, Johei does live with him, but the most he ever does is play pranks and dish out horrible puns." Mikan said.

" _B-But-!"_ Skadi protested.

Mikan held up her hand to stop Skadi from saying anything else.

"He's a good person now! He's a part of Johei. Johei would make pranks that might go too far but he wouldn't kill somebody for the experience. He's rational and he's got his heart in the right place. Besides, if Loki does anything, you can just beat him up again."

Skadi slumped in defeat.

" _Fine. BUT! If he goes out of line, I am going to end his life!"_ Skadi said.

Skadi waited for Mikan to answer back, but then realized that she fell asleep.

 _(After School)_

 _Same time_

 _Johei's Apartment._

"Okay! Looks like you're all good!" Johei said as he stepped back and admired his handiwork.

Loki was sitting down. His monitor was slightly cracked, but the seemed to work well enough. For some reason, his face always glitched back to the troll face icon, but Johei decided it would be better off to just leave it.

" _Thanks! Boy am I glad to have this thing working again!"_ Loki said as he changed the background on the monitor to his usual Tom Hiddleston smile.

Loki stood up again and floated on his back while Johei walked into the part of his apartment that was a kitchen, dining room and study all in one. He opened his refrigerator and put away the takeout box with leftovers from Shigure's. He always made a habit of saving leftovers so he wouldn't have to cook.

"So, what's the beef between you and Elsa?" Johei asked as he walked back into the living room to get his backpack.

Loki fidgeted and his monitor face changed to an applicable moving face that looked unsure.

" _Well… It's not like I have to tell you..."_ Loki started.

"Tell me or I'm Googling you." Johei interrupted.

" _Alright! Fine!"_ Loki surrendered.

" _It was Egir's feast. She didn't completely trust my presence there, because I'm the god of trickery."_

Johei sat back in his seat and crossing his arms.

" _One thing led to another, I made a joke about her being nicer with me in bed-"_

"Whoa! You made a dumb mistake like that to a person like her?! Man, no wonder she hates you." Johei interrupted.

Loki's monitor glared at Johei.

"Uh, sorry. Go on."

" _Well, after that comment and many more insults, the gods tied me to a huge rock that they… covered with the guts of my son. They turned my other son into a wolf, and had my wife stand over me with a bowl that was being filled snake venom that she would be forced to pour on my face."_

Johei stood silent for many seconds, actually feeling sentiment for Loki.

" _But that's not really me! I'm just based off of that Loki! I'm just given that name and some characteristics that we both share! Nothing serious!"_ Loki said; his monitor changing to a 'What? Me worry?' face and back to his default picture.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Well, whatever it is. Tomorrow, we're gonna do something with your 'lady problems' and make sure that this team can function normally." Johei said while taking out his homework.

Loki laid back again, careless as ever, and began to plot some getaway plans in case Johei's peace treaties didn't work.

 _(After School)_

 _Same time_

 _Kazuhiko's room_

Kazuhiko sat in his chair at his desk, a textbook in his hand. Tyr floated beside him, trying to read the book as well, but made no such progress.

" _Kazuhiko, I'm not sure if I understand this part. What does it mean?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Tyr, you don't have to do this. Could you find something else to do? I really need to concentrate on this part here."

Tyr nodded and floated to another part of the room.

" _What do you think caused her parents to hang themselves?"_

Kazuhiko stopped reading for a moment. He had seen death before; when he was young, his grandfather died. He was on his death bed and the computer that monitored his heart beat went blank. Kazuhiko remembered staring at his grandfather with tears in his eyes. He never seen any chains on him.

"I don't know, Tyr. Whatever it is, it has something to do with the Mirror Dimension."

Flashing back to when the six were on the subway, Kazuhiko remembered Johei's statement.

" _Those chains looked just like ours!"_

Yes, something in the mirror dimension must have caused them to commit to suicide. What in that world could have made them do this? Kazuhiko sat back up in his chair and continued to read his textbook.

" _Besides that subject, we have much more pressing matters to deal with. The most obvious being Loki and Skadi."_

Kazuhiko nodded without looking up from his book.

"Yeah, that is true. If those two can't get along, our group would easily fall apart before we even run into any shadows."

Kazuhiko mused the idea. Loki and Skadi getting into a fight while they were surrounded by shadows. Well, mainly Skadi was holding Loki up and punching him repeatedly, but it would still be bad news.

"I sure hope those two are over their squabbles by tomorrow."

 _(Morning)_

 _August 14, 2021_

 _Kyuto High, Room B-2_

 _7:20 AM_

"So, how are those two doing?" Kazuhiko asked.

Johei looked relieved when he came into the classroom. He had talked things over with Mikan and was able to make a ceasefire agreement with Skadi and Loki.

"Okay, somehow. Skadi promised not to kill Loki if he didn't try any pranks with her or Mikan..." Johei said.

"I'm sensing a 'but' here."

Johei sighed.

"Apparently, Loki can still play pranks on other people. Skadi is now an avenger of the people."

In the distance, Kazuhiko could hear a girl screaming, Loki laughing and several connected punches.

" _Well, at least we can properly explore the Mirror Dimension."_ Tyr said optimistically.

Loki floated back into the classroom with a slightly cracked screen, but still okay.

" _Hey guys! We going to that place today or what?"_ Loki said.

Kazuhiko sighed. _Today is going to be a long day._

 _(After School)_

 _3:24 PM_

 _Mirror Dimension_

The entire group stood in front of one person.

"So, I'm guessing something happened?" Hayabusa asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Another person committed suicide and they happened to be the parents of the first girl that committed suicide."

Hayabusa put his hand to his chin, or at least the bottom of his falcon mask, and turned the other way, mumbling to himself.

"So, something big has finally happened..."

Johei walked up behind Hayabusa.

"Uh, are you okay? Is there something you need to tell us?"

Hayabusa turned around and faced everyone again.

"Follow me." He said, and walked in another direction.

Johei turned back to everyone, his gaze asking if they should follow him. Kazuhiko nodded to Mikan and they walked until they matched Hayabusa's pace.

"The only time this place is dangerous is when something big is happening on your side." Hayabusa said, not faltering his pace.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Something like this always happens; shadows come out and begin to devour the true emotions of mankind. These emotions become theirs and they form even more powerful shadows; They create their own self consciousness and run rampant. Eventually, they need to be put down, but if they are not given the proper care for, they return to the person of their origin and make them fall into despair. This results in them doing drastic actions."

Johei stopped Hayabusa for a moment.

"So, that's why Suzuki-chan's parents killed themselves? Because someone on this side destroyed their shadows and they weren't nurtured?"

Hayabusa nodded.

"Precisely."

The party kept walking in silence; Hayabusa not saying anything else after explaining the situation. Finally, they stopped.

"This is it." Hayabusa said as they took in their surroundings.

They stopped in front of a large ditch where there were only four bridges to get to the middle. At the center, there was a large tower, each floor looking different from the next. The higher the floors got, the more intense the concentration of shadows seemed to be. The tower was so tall that they couldn't see the top because it pierced through the clouds. The six stared at it stunned, whereas Hayabusa looked at it as if it were a regular sight to him.

"This" He said,"is Niflheim.".

There were several good moments of silence before Mikan spoke.

"Is this another shadow nest?"

Hayabusa shook his head.

"Your average shadows nest consists of shadows that haven't devoured a humans emotions. Niflheim is home of all the shadows that have grown stronger through their human counterparts. You can feel so much despair from here, that if you went in there without a Persona, you would be guaranteed to go mad."

Kazuhiko took note of Hayabusa's lack of a Persona.

"I take it you've never been in there before."

Hayabusa's gaze fell, as if that were a touchy subject with him.

"It is… impossible for me… I cannot gain a Persona… "

 _Impossible?_ Kazuhiko thought, _Personas are the strength of a humans heart, the ability to overcome despair. The only thing that would stop one from having a Persona is because they are a Persona themselves or…_

Kazuhiko came to a realization and pulled out his sword. He pointed it at Hayabusa accusingly. Everyone else looked shocked. Whereas Hayabusa sighed.

"Tell us what you really are, Hayabusa." Kazuhiko said.

Hayabusa refused to return Kazuhiko's glare.

"Whoa, Kaz! What's going on?"

" _Hey, hey, hey. Put the sword down."_

" _Kazuhiko, I don't think that he poses a threat to us."_

"Is there something wrong?"

" _He can't have a Persona?"_

Kazuhiko gritted his teeth and yelled at Hayabusa.

"Well? Are you going to tell us straight out? Or am I going to have to tell them myself?"

Hayabusa shook his head.

"I'll tell you all the truth. But I can assure you that I don't pose a threat to you all."

Everyone was left in the dark.

"The only beings that can have Personas are humans, there is no exception. I cannot have a Persona because… I am not human." Hayabusa said, his voice shaking.

Johei and Loki stepped back in shock. Mikan and Skadi brought up their weapons defensively. Kazuhiko still held his sword up while Tyr tilted his head confusedly.

"I was born when I devoured the emotions of a small boy. Before that, I was just another hostile slime on the ground that are called shadows."

 _I thought so._

Tyr stopped Kazuhiko for a moment.

" _Wait! He helped us fight those shadows! Doesn't that mean that he doesn't want to hurt us?"_

Kazuhiko hated that Tyr was right. Even without a Persona, Hayabusa was able to take out shadows with ease matching or even excelling all of their skills. If he wanted them dead, he would have killed them the second they stepped in.

"Tch- alright then." Kazuhiko said as he sheathed his sword.

Hayabusa remained unmoving as the rest of the party alligned themselves in a more secure way, as if to ensure that Hayabusa couldn't attack them. One last thing itched at Kazuhiko's mind, though.

"Wait, if you're a shadow, why do you hunt your own kind?" Kazuhiko asked.

Hayabusa took some time to himself then answered.

"I guess that it was the emotions of the boy that I had devoured as a shadow. He wanted to make a difference in the world. To protect others. That boy was very pure hearted. That is why I will do anything to prevent people from your side from being dragged down by despair."

Kazuhiko nodded, satisfied. Mikan began to form questions of her own.

"But if you're a shadow, and you can't have a Persona, then you can't possibly be causing this commotion in our world. The question now is, who is doing this?"

This was a very valid point. Because Hayabusa couldn't fight shadows that devoured emotions, he couldn't take one down and condemn it to committing suicide. So, who could?

" _Wait, we are the only ones who can take down shadows like that."_ Loki said.

" _Doesn't that mean that whoever caused these suicide incidents have the ability to come into this world and have a Persona?"_

Everyone looked at Loki, shocked.

" _Uh, did I say something wrong?"_ Loki asked again.

"No, no. That actually is a valid point." Johei said.

"And to follow that up," Mikan added.

"The only people that can use Personas are humans."

Hayabusa nodded.

"So the perpetrator must be from your world. Interesting..." Hayabusa said.

"In fact, if anybody was to be the root cause of this, you three would be the most likely!" Hayabusa said as he pointed his finger at the trio.

Mikan and Johei stepped back while Kazuhiko sighed.

"You were the one who awakened their Persona before everyone else! In fact, you never even faced you true emotions yet! You must be the one who caused all this suicide buisiness!"

Kazuhiko stared back at Hayabusa until he finished his ramblings.

"Look, I know I seem suspicious, but I'm new to this myself. Have no idea what's going on. Besides, I've only been here for less than a week."

"B-but!" Hayabusa retorted.

Then, another voice joined the conversation.

"I can't believe how stupid you all are!"

Everyone turned around and saw a person clothed in a black hoodie. The hood covered his face, but the voice was able to tell them that the person was male. The person continued to talk in his cocky and mocking voice.

"You're all accusing each other, but it turns out that the real perp is right in front of you!"

Kazuhiko and Johei finally began to remember the person, or at least remember the last time they saw a person dressed in a similar fashion.

"You're… " Kazuhiko said.

The person shook his head.

"Nope, I'm not the person you saw before when you were in that shadow nest. Although I do know him. Don't worry, I'm not here to fight you, more like to enlighten you!"

Mikan aimed her crossbow at the person, ready to fire when he gave any provocative movements, and asked him.

"And what are you here to tell us, besides the fact that you're behind this."

The figure shook his finger at Mikan.

"Tsk tsk tsk. You got one thing wrong, and that happens to be what I'm here to tell you about. You see, I'm not the only one behind this. I'm part of a big group! Hundreds of us! Those shadows in that nest you fought through are even weaker than our pawns!"

Kazuhiko couldn't believe his ears. The fact that they were outnumbered almost immediately was unbearable. The fact that they were even more powerful than the normal shadows he was accustomed to, was what made him feel helpless.

Johei, being himself, denied the fact.

"No way! There's no way in hell that's true!" Johei yelled.

The figure, seeing this as an opportunity, provoked him.

"In fact, I can take all of you on by myself! You know the best part? I'm the weakest commander."

"Persona!"

Johei shattered his chains and Loki sent a powerful garu whirlwind towards the figure. The figure sighed as if he was bored and snapped his fingers. The garu connected, but not with the figure. Instead, a Persona like creature blocked the attack. It looked as if it was a regular Persona; it had long flowing white hair, a metallic mask covering the lower half of it's face, was clothed in a mottled robe that was all sorts of green and brown colors and in one of it's hands, it held a weighing scale.

"Well, looks like you're a feisty one!"

The figure formed chains on his wrists and broke them.

" **Vidar!** **Makajam!** "

The Persona's scale tipped to one side and a blast was sent to Johei and Loki, sending them flying back. Mikan quickly ran to Johei's side.

"Johei! Are you alright?"

Johei opened his mouth and moved his lips, but no sound came out. He noticed this and tried harder to speak but nothing happened.

"He's been silenced!" Hayabusa said as he drew his rapier.

The figure put his hands behind his head and leaned back.

"Don't worry! I'm not gonna hurt you unless you take a shot at me. Besides, I'm only here to talk. Now that I've finished what I came here for, I'll be off."

And with that, the figure turned around and walked off. Kazuhiko caught a glimpse of the back of his hoodie before he disappeared. It was an imprint of a circle with many runes on the perimeter, and three triangles interlocking each other. Soon, Johei got back up.

"… itch! I'll finish him off anyday of the week!"

"Oh, you can talk again." Kazuhiko noted as Johei realized that his voice had returned.

Loki groggily got up.

" _Oh, man. That was a really low blow there. Can't he fight us head on?"_

" _If he did, you would have killed us all."_ Skadi pointed out.

" _Eh, fair point, General Armstrong."_

" _What does FullMetal Alchemist have to do with… Oh you are so dead!"_ Skadi yelled as she punched Loki to the ground

" _Ow."_

"Guys! Quit fighting!" Johei yelled at them.

Kazuhiko turned to Hayabusa.

"Well, I guess that we're on the same side for now." Kazuhiko said.

Hayabusa nodded.

"Yes. Once this place is wiped of their existence, The Mirror Dimension should revert to normal."

"More, on that, how can we contact you when something pops up?".

Hayabusa held out his hand. In it, was a phone. Kazuhiko tilted his head in confusion. He never expected for Hayabusa to have a phone, much less anybody in the Mirror Dimension. The only things with a certain amount of worth was the items that shadows dropped, and those tended to be metals, consumables or, on the rarest occasions, weapons and armor. Hayabusa continued to tap on his phone until he showed them all an app. Everybody took a moment until they realized that they had that exact same app before they entered the Mirror Dimension.

"This'll be enough to contact me. It works as a communications and navigation app, although I've only used the navigation part." Hayabusa said.

"I will see you all in the later future." And with that, Hayabusa ran off and disappeared in the distance.

Everybody was still together and decided to call a day. The six made their way to the mall mirror to get back to their world. On the way, they made some small talk.

"So, I heard that the school is planning on having some benchmarking tests this year to see if everybody is adequate." Mikan said.

"Wait, what?! They are?! Crap! I'm going to hae to go study once I get home! I can't get held back a grade! It'll ruin me!"

Johei began to frantically worry, whereas Kazuhiko kept a cool head.

"Doesn't the test only consist of subjects we learned last year? If you graduated last year, then you don't have anything to worry about." Kazuhiko pointed out.

Loki butted in for a moment.

" _Well, I may not have been alive for a long time, but I've been around long enough to know that Johei doesn't have the best of grades. I wouldn't be surprised if he flunks the test and gets sent to a first year class."_

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes and chuckled. This was the Johei he knew well; always brimming with talent and potential, but using it for pranks. He really could get good grades if he just set his mind to it. Skadi seemed to be disgusted.

" _Hmph, and they let people like him have opportunities they don't deserve."_

Mikan sighed.

"No need to be so rough on him, Skadi. He could do great things; It's just that he's still a kid."

"It would take a miracle to get him at least a decent grade." Kazuhiko said as he watched Johei freak out.

"Shut up!" Johei yelled at him.

Mikan sighed as she stood in front of the mirror.

"Well, if you aren't ready for the tests, then why not have a study session tomorrow?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Sounds good. I studied most of the subjects but I still have a few rough areas that I need help with."

Johei pressed his palms together and bowed on his knees.

"Please, Mika-senpai! I'll do anything for you to help me! Anything!"

Skadi lifted her eyebrow.

" _Anything, you say?"_

 _Oh no,_ Kazuhiko thought, _This is not going to end well._

 **So, there you have it! The mysterious hooded person is partially behind it all. Sorry for the late update, but I was working on two chapters as well as getting a slight writers block. I know it's not a good excuse so I'll do my best to update as fast as I normally do. Now, without further ado, please welcome Mikan Echihiro!**

Dangstaboy: Hello everybody! Welcome back to the after show where I will be interviewing Mikan Echihiro!

Mikan: A … studio?

Dangstaboy: Quite right, Echihiro-san. Here's the gist of it. You're a character of my fanfiction, Persona: One Last Promise. You don't really exist, sorry to be blunt.

Mikan: (sigh) I don't exist, right?

Dangstaboy: Correct.

Mikan: And you're talking to me.

Dangstaboy: Yes.

Mikan: … Does this mean that this isn't really happening?

Dangstaboy: … Let's move on to the questions, okay?

Mikan: Alright then.

Dangstaboy: So, these first few questions will be from RosyMiranto18. What do you think of the kanji that I gave to you. Yeah give me a second, I'll display it on the screen. Here you go, you can read the comment for it.

英一郎 美艦: Beautiful Ship

Mikan: Wow! I feel like it really describes me! I appreciate how this points towards my feminity and beauty. Although, I'm not that proud of my beauty. It really didn't help me at any times…

Dangstaboy: Well, onto the next question. "Who is 'HE' that you refer to that his death caused so much pain in your life". Sorry if I'm editing it wrong. I'm just doing the best I can to make this question more understandable.

Mikan: Well…

Dangstaboy: Whoops! Sorry, but I can't let you answer this question. It'll be a spoiler for your social link. Next question: "For Skadi, in your opinion, what is the most cruel punishment you can think of to Loki, without counting any snake or venom-related punishments? ;)"

Skadi: Well, I have thought of many punishments for him. The snake venom thing was just the most that Odin would allow me to do. If I had my way, I would either bind him to Fenrir, forcing the wolf to eat a part of him so that he wouldn't starve to death, whereas the next day, he would regrow that part of him but have the pain still fresh in him, or I would take a leaf from Greek mythology and force him to carry the tree, Yggdrasil, for all eternity and make him feed off of his own son's entrails to survive.

Dangstaboy: …

Mikan: …

Skadi: What? I'm just answering honestly.

Dangstaboy: O… kay, ignoring your obvious thirst for blood, let's move on. "For Skadi, For an idea. How about a 'Mystery Pancake X' that Loki helps to f*cks up? ;)"

Skadi: Mystery Pancake X? What's that?

Dangstaboy: For those who aren't aware of me, I have tried making a parody of Mystery Food X before. I can tell you that either the smell of it or the amount of cholesterol that you would get from eating it will kill you. I didn't have the balls to taste it.

Skadi: Well, if it is as horrendous as you put it, I guess I could use it for one of my punishments for Loki. That actually might disgust him even more than eating his son's guts.

Dangstaboy: Poor Loki. Next question. "For both Mikan and Skadi, I checked Skadi Wikipedia Profile when i found that Skadi is Mikan's Persona. In her profile, she was mentioned to be married with Odin after Skadi's marriage with Njordr fallen apartand they have alot of children together; however, When i read Odin's Profile, it was mentioned that Frigg is Odin's actual wife. In addition, interestingly, there's no mention of Frigg in Skadi's Profile and vice versa (there's no mention of Skadi in Frigg's Profile). So, what do you think about these statements. And to Skadi, what will you do if somehow Frigg is becoming someone's Persona? *whistles innocently*"\

Skadi: Ah, Frigg. She was a good person, and her children were very kind as well. Although, we didn't know that Odin was cheating on both of us until before Ragnarok. I don't remember a lot, but I do know that she and I are on good terms. We still have yet to talk with Odin. As for Frigg being somebody else's Persona, I'd be okay with it; the more people to keep Loki in check, the better.

Dangstaboy: Well said. Alright then. This one's for Mikan from adtauthor22. "Are you a fan of Danganronpa?"

Mikan: Yes, I am indeed a fan of that game. I was recommended it before and I tried a PC version of it. Strange how it's context is similar to our current situation. My favorite character is definitely Kazuichi Soda! He is just so funny in his actions and how he freaks out. Although, I believe there is a person like him that I know. Cough cough (Johei) cough cough.

Dangstaboy: Yeah, I actually kind of based him off of Soda slightly. Well, next one. "Do you drown yourself in your sorrows?"

Mikan: No, I don't. If you're talking about alcohol, definitely not. I can't hold alcohol very well. When I was little, my grandparents thought it would be a good idea to teach me not to like alcohol. They gave me a sip of watered down wine and I started to feel drunk. Not ever touching the stuff again in my life.

Dangstaboy: Good message, Mikan. Remember everyone, especially gamers in the house, don't ever do drugs or alcohol! Even if you're depressed from playing Dark Souls. Real winners don't do drugs!

Mikan: Yep! You got it!

Dangstaboy: Alright, we only have a few more questions to go! The rest are from a person named TeddieBear345. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Mikan: Excuse me?

Dangstaboy: Uh, maybe shouldn't have asked that one, Next question; "Have you ever smooched anyone before?"

Mikan: What?

Dangstaboy: Not that one either. Next one; "Where are you ticklish"?

Skadi: I'm starting to wonder if these are really your questions.

Dangstaboy:They're not! I swear they aren't. Last one before this show closes; "Can I stay at your house next time"? Okay that's it! Who filled the reviewed section with these questions?

Teddie: I did!

Dangstaboy: What the heck are you doing here Teddie?! You're not supposed to be here until the later chapters!

Teddie: I couldn't help but notice the lovely ladies that I was missing out on that I decided to make an early entrance!

Mikan: … Skadi, get a bufudyne ready.

Skadi: What scum.

Teddie: Oh! You have a Persona too! And she can use ice spells? Even more we have in common! This is- wait, what's she doing?

Skadi: Bufudyne!

Teddie: Ah! Help! Make her stop! Help!

 _Teddie, Mikan and Skadi run into the far off areas of the set._

Dangstaboy: … cut the connection.


	11. Chapter 11

**Aaaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Sorry for taking so long; nothing I say will make up for my tardiness so let's just get the next chapter.**

 **Chapter 11**

Exam day

 _(Morning)_

 _August 16, 2021_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

"Hey, psst, Kaz." Johei whispered.

Kazuhiko sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, then went back to his exam paper. Johei didn't show any resolve of quiting.

"Psst, come on man! You gotta help me!" Johei said.

Kazuhiko continued ignoring Johei and circled a few more answers on his paper. After finishing it, he slouched back and put his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes. He had been at his exam for an hour and knew the material well enough. In addition to his studying by himself, he also had Mikan to thank for his swift and easy accomplishment.

"Just one answer, please?" Johei whispered.

*woosh*

*tonk*

"Ouch!"

"No talking during tests, Mister Shiroka." Mr Ozuma said from his desk.

Johei rubbed his head in the spot where the piece of chalk had hit him. He really wasn't having that much trouble with his tests. In fact, he had finished the majority of it correctly, and he answered with confidence. The only problem was that he skipped over questions he didn't understand right away, and those questions made up for 30% of his test grade. He did come over to the hotel lounge to study with Mikan and Kazuhiko, but he couldn't get the hang of some equations in time.

 _(Flashback)_

 _August 15, 2021_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Lounge_

"Are you sure this'll help?" Johei asked Mikan and Kazuhiko.

"Eh, not really, but it's worth a shot." Mikan said.

"We discovered a world in the mirrors where everything is backwards and we unlocked JoJo powers called Personas to fight entities called shadows. If anything, this is normal compared to what we do." Kazuhiko said.

Johei was held upside down by his feet that were tied to the top of a tall laundry cart. His shirt was off and Kazuhiko and Mikan were standing in front of him with markers, pencils and paper.

"Guys, I'm not too sure about this." Johei started until Mikan stopped him.

"You're hopeless at these equations. Last resort was this. Remember, you promised."

Johei immediately started to regret his begging in the Mirror Dimension. He offered to do anything for her to help him. She did help him with his English and History, but math wasn't doing much good. She had taught him enough to pass, but because he wanted to get a better grade, he would have to come up front with his bill.

"Yeah, I know, but I don't understand how writing equations on my body is going to help me; It's not like I can take off my shirt in class and check up the equation for a circle on a coordinate plane."

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes and spoke.

"That's exactly why it won't help, Johei. We're not resorting to just that; the internet said that you also have to write the equations on paper and stuff it in your mouth."

Johei's eyes went wide.

"Wait, what? No way in hell that I'm doing that!"

Mikan wagged her finger at him.

"Remember, I'm not doing this only because you were desperate, but also for that promise of yours to do anything if I tutored you."

Kazuhiko then opened a marker and started scribbling on Johei's stomach. Mikan started filling papers with questions regarding certain equations and crumbling them into balls of paper that she stuffed into Johei's mouth.

"Hat?! Hei shtop! Dish ishn't fuddy guyz! HEEEEEEEEEEAAAAP!" Johei screamed.

Meanwhile, Tyr, Skadi and Loki were watching the three carry on with their shenanigans.

" _What exactly are they trying to accomplish?"_ Tyr asked, not knowing the situation whatsoever.

" _Apparently, this is a popular urban superstition. That if you write something on your body while ingesting it at the same time, you would be able to make it a permanent memory"_ Skadi explained.

Loki was opening up his screen to a facecam software, taking pictures.

" _I can guarantee you guys one thing: I don't have to write this down on my body to remember this!"_

Loki went snapping away more pictures while Skadi rolled her eyes in disgust at him.

" _Are you ever a help to anybody?"_ Skadi asked.

Loki stopped taking pictures for a moment and grimaced.

" _If you had a partner like him, would you respect him?"_

Skadi went silent for a moment.

" _Yeah, I guess you're right."_

"Hey!" Johei shouted.

He spat out the pieces of paper that were crammed in his mouth. Kazuhiko and Mikan stopped because they couldn't hold their markers still from laughing.

"Well, should we execute phase 2?" Kazuhiko asked.

Mikan nodded

"Uh, hold on. Phase 2? What is that?" Johei frantically asked as he tried to free his arms from behind his back.

In seconds, the two teens on their feet pushed the coat cart into the elevator and closed it. Johei tried to get off the cart but failed as the doors closed on him. The dial for the elevator showed that he had gone to the fifth floor and stopped. Shrieks could be heard all the way from the first floor. Mikan and Kazuhiko walked back to the lobby, laughing all the way until Kazuhiko caught his breath.

"Man… he had that coming… for a long… time." Kazuhikos aid between gasps.

Mikan was the doing same, but with less succession.

"Hee hee… he … was finally… ha ha… the pranked."

They sat on a couch and finally stopped laughing.

 _Present Time_

"You guys didn't help me at all! You just played a prank on me!" Johei retorted.

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Alright, well you got me there. Tell Loki to come here so he can see an answer."

Johei smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks man! You're the best!"

Kazuhiko sat back in his chair again. Yesterday had been fun, but it was kind of unfair what they did to Johei. He decided to make it up to him by letting him cheat just once, they were best friends after all. He didn't faze as Loki stooped over his desk and went back to Johei.

" _Okay, the answer's B."_ Loki said to his partner.

"Thanks. Say, now that I think a bit, why don't you check the teacher's answer sheet instead? That would make things much easier!"

Loki shook his head as he brought up a troll face icon.

" _Not a chance. I may do some pretty jacked up stuff but that is crossing the line."_ Loki replied.

Tyr raised an eyebrow at this.

" _Having some good morals, I see?"_ Tyr asked.

Loki shook his head.

" _Nah, Skadi made me promise not to do that or else she'd punch my lights out, literally."_

Kazuhiko chuckled to himself.

 _Good catch Mika-senpai_ He thought to himself.

In fact, thinking of Mikan brought Kazuhiko back to their conversation after they rescued her. She was talking about a guys that had helped her, but she was cut off.

 _I wonder who she was talking about._

Kazuhiko shook his head. If it really was an important part of her life, she would tell him when she was ready. He had to make sure that he kept others emotions in check when he was trying to form social links.

" _The bonds that you make with others shall determine the path of your journey. The closer you are to the people around you, the more they will begin to trust you and help you, as you would to them."_ Igor's words had echoed into his mind.

So far, the only people that Kazuhiko had made social links with was Johei and Mikan; the Magician and the Empress. Both were just starting to bloom, although Kazuhiko knew that it would be a long time before either would feel confident enough to talk to him. He opened his eyes and checked his watch. It read 11: 03, meaning he had 7 minutes left until the day would be over and he wouldn't have to go to school tomorrow. Exams, under normal circumstances, would last for an entire week, but these were only for placing people in their correct classes, so the test itself would only be taken for one day. The next day would be the teacher's meeting where their tests would be graded and put up on a billboard the following day. Kazuhiko heard a breath of relief near him and saw johei putting his test on his desk face-down.

"It's finally over." Johei said as he checked his watch.

"And with a little time to spare."

Johei scratched his chin and tore out a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote on it. He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it under Kazuhiko's chair. Kazuhiko sat back and moved his hand under his chair and brought up the ball. He unwrapped it and saw Johei's handwriting.

 _Where should we go today?_

Kazuhiko took out his pencil and wrote back to Johei. He crumpled it back into a ball and rolled it to Johei. Johei read the note.

 _No idea. Wanna ask senpai later?_

Johei nodded to Kazuhiko and he eased back into his seat. The bell finally rang and they both got up from their desks with their school bags in hand.

"Hold on Mr. Shiroka! You too Mr. Sukima!" Mr. Ozuma said.

Kazuhiko sighed and sat back down in his seat as did Johei. Their fellow classmates walked out of the classroom, some rolling their eyes, some laughing, or some not even caring. Mr. Ozuma walked to the two.

"Well, I suppose that you two couldn't wait for a few minutes to talk to each other, hm?"

Kazuhiko sighed and looked down. Apparently, their conversation didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, I'll make sure you two have plenty of time to talk when you're cleaning this classroom. I'll have the janitor watch you two to make sure this place is as clean as it was the first day it opened. I'm sure he's old enough to know that."

And with that, Mr. Ozuma left the room leaving them with the janitor and two brooms. The boys swept the floor while they talked.

"Well, now we do have plans for after school." Kazuhiko said.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Relax. The sooner we get this done, the more time we'll have. Besides, today's a short day."

The two boys continued sweeping until they were finished. The janitor gave them his approval and allowed them to leave as he went off to another classroom. Johei grabbed his pack and headed to the door.

"Hey, Kaz! Let's go already! Mika-senpai'll be worried about us!"

Kazuhiko nodded as he grabbed his pack and walked to the door. He bumped into Mr. Ozuma's desk and dropped a stack of papers, making a large mess.

"Ugh. You go on, Johei. I'll catch up."

Johei nodded and walked out of the classroom, leaving Kazuhiko to pick up the papers he dropped. Tyr stayed with him, getting the papers that he didn't spot right away. Finally, he was able to get all the papers he collected into a stack. The top paper caught his eye, and he decided to sneak a peek at it.

"Transfer student records?" Kazuhiko said to himself as he scanned the page.

He saw his name on it with a check mark, symbolizing that he had already been enrolled. There were a few more that were there, but they were all foreign exchanged students. Then, his eyes stopped on one picture. He read the caption next to it.

"Iselin… Bjorn?"

"A- HEM!"

Kazuhiko nearly jumped out of his jacket and into the ceiling. He turned around and saw the janitor who just came in to empty the trash bins.

"Don't worry, son. I won't tell on you, if that's what you're thinking. Some curiosity is good, but you should never get into too deep trouble."

Kazuhiko let out a breath.

"Thank you, sir. I'll finish up putting these papers away." Kazuhiko said as he straightened the papers on his desk.

"No need to be so formal. You can call me Shura. Or if the first name basis isn't your style, you can call me Mr. Seijimura."

Kazuhiko nodded as he picked up his bag and made his way to the door.

"Thank you, Mr. Seijimura!"

Mr. Seijimura waved as he pushed his cart to the next trash bin.

"Take care, son."

Kazuhiko was about to turn when he stopped and noticed that the old man had stopped. A card appeared where he was with a picture of a hooded elder in the dark with a lantern. A familiar voice filled his head.

 _I art thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a a new bond_

 _It shall be the experience of your elders to rise from despair_

 _I present to the, the Hermit arcana._

"You just gonna stand there, son? I'm sure you've got friends waitin' for you."

Kazuhiko's thoughts brought him back to reality and he found that he had been frozen in place yet again. Getting used to the new social link feel was kind of tough. He had to make sure that he didn't form a bond while he was in a fight.

Kazuhiko soon dashed to the front gate and saw Johei and Mikan waiting for him along with Skadi and Loki.

"So, you got that finished up yet?" Johei asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Where are we going today?" Kazuhiko asked.

Skadi spoke to him.

" _Well, we came to a conclusion of two choices, but we'll have to do them tomorrow because of business that we must attend to for today."_

Loki continued.

" _Yeah, Mikan needs to do some work at the hotel today and Johei needs to do some shopping for food and some new clothes."_

"Yeah, the time we spent in the Mirror Dimension kind of torn my clothes so I need to get some new shirts and pants"

Tyr snorted at Johei.

" _Nonsense! When young men had shown up to their homes with torn clothing and scars, their fathers would take it as a sign of their masculinity! There is no shame in wearing torn clothing today! Why, that girl over there is wearing pants that are torn so far up her legs!"_ Tyr ranted.

Everybody zoned out while Tyr rambled on, while Loki perked up attentively.

" _A girl showing how much leg? Where?!"_

*clang*

" _Ouch"_

Loki rubbed where his head was and turned back to the group.

" _Well, let's go Johei. Just having this place in my sight gives me a headache."_

Johei and Loki walked off in the direction of the shopping mall while Mikan and Skadi walked in the opposite direction for the Matsuhito Hotel. As they disappeared from Kazuhiko's sight, he finally started to wonder what he should do.

"Hey, Tyr, got any ideas?" Kazuhiko asked his Persona.

" _Maybe we should talk to Hayabusa."_ Tyr suggested.

" _I doubt he has much company in the Mirror Dimension."_

Kazuhiko nodded. Hayabusa did seem to live a lonely life in the Mirror Dimension. True, he was a shadow, but that didn't mean that he had to be alone. After all, he was a good help to them with finding Mikan and Niflheim.

"Alright then, let's pay him a visit."

 _Mirror Dimension; Nuzoko Mall District_

"Why are you here?" Hayabusa asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko had to admit; this was a very awkward situation he was in. Just yesterday, he accused Hayabusa of being the cause of the suicide incidents. Today, he told him he just wanted to hang out.

"Well, I was free today and wanted to make amends for yesterday." Kazuhiko said.

Hayabusa frowned under his mask.

"You do realize that it wasn't much of a big deal, right?"

Kazuhiko scratched the back of his head nervously. There really was no good reason that he should be here. At his current state, he couldn't possibly take on Niflheim, especially if he was alone. He stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Well, as long as you're here" Hayabusa said.

"Why don't you help me out with clearing my house?"

Kazuhiko nodded his head.

 _Great, clearing his house will be no problem. Does he need to move a couch or table or something he can't do by himself?_

 _10 minutes later_

"Okay, I know that you said clear out your house, but this wasn't what I was expecting." Kazuhiko said.

Kazuhiko swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting a … Cowardly Maya? He wondered if that was what Hayabusa said it was while he drove his sword into the chest of a possessed statue. Hayabusa, who was used to this, was in an apron and had a broom in his hands.

"Hey! I said get them out, not turn them into dust! Looks like I'm gonna have to do more sweeping." Hayabusa said through his mask.

Strangely, he didn't take off his falcon mask while cleaning. Even more trivial was the fact that he put another mask over his face to prevent the shadow dust from getting in his mask's mouth. Kazuhiko continued to clear the room of shadows with his sword.

"Well, I only have this. Besides, it's more effective than your broom."

After an hour, the two managed to beat out the shadows and clear out the dust. Hayabusa flopped onto a chair and Kazuhiko sat down on a couch.

"Well, I'd say that took much less time than I expected!" Hayabusa remarked as he wiped th sweat off his neck.

Kazuhiko sat back and let out a large breath as Tyr stayed floating beside him.

" _Of course it took less time. You had two more pairs of hands to help you."_ Tyr said.

Hayabusa nodded. Kazuhiko took a moment to wonder how life was for Hayabusa; Always cleaning out his house to keep the shadows out, hunting down shadows by himself everyday, it was enough to make Kazuhiko faint.

"Really appreciate the help Sukima-san."

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"You don't have to be formal, call me Kaz." Kazuhiko replied as he wiped his forehead.

Hayabusa leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"It took me ages to get this place. Clearing it was a whole other story, but I managed to do it on my own." Hayabusa told Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko took this chance to learn more about Hayabusa.

"How did you start out, anyways?"

Hayabusa turned to face Kazuhiko and looked down.

"It's a long story-"

"We've got plenty of time." Kazuhiko countered.

It was true that Hayabusa had a lot of time to talk. For Kazuhiko, he wouldn't have to come back until 9 PM. The time was currently 12:22 so he had most of the day left. Hayabusa sighed and reclined in his chair.

"Well, I never remembered being a shadow, more like somebody told me. I only remember that I had a mind once I took that child's hidden emotions. That child was very kind hearted, but since those emotions were hidden, I guess he felt like he wanted to help but couldn't."

Kazuhiko leaned back on the couch and Tyr listened attentively.

"When I finally awakened, there was another shadow there. He had taken another person's emotions for a long time, and he stuck out his hand to me. He called himself Shiroe, and he was friendly enough. He brought me to Niflheim and showed me all that was accomplished by shadows. I was astonished at what they did; The child's emotion inside me was horrified at how they hunted down their targets. You might not know this, but Personas are created from beings within the Mirror Dimension called reflections. Reflections are true emotions of people given in a physical copy of themselves. When they are killed, they are devoured by shadows. Reflections aren't easy to find, and when they are found, it takes a lot to down them. The child's emotions that I held couldn't take anymore and I looked away. Shiroe told me that this was the way of a shadow's life."

Hayabusa did his best to bury the memories of the day that he became conscious, but talking to Kazuhiko caused them to resurface.

 _(Flashback)_

"Don't worry if you don't like it. That's only the person inside you that doesn't like it, not yourself." Shiroe said to Hayabusa.

He patted him on the back reassuringly.

"You'll get used to seeing it. After all, we have to provide for those little blood suckers."

Hayabusa turned and met Shiroe's gaze with a confused look. As quick as lightning, Shiroe had unsheathed a knife he had at his belt and slashed the neck of a reflection. Hayabusa screamed as he backed away from it as it bled. The reflection had a female physique, but didn't show any face or skin tone. The two backed away as a lucky shadow pounced on the body and absorbed it. Hayabusa closed his eyes and pressed his palms on his head.

 _Four years later_

Hayabusa was wiping his rapier clean. At his feet lay a reflection that he ad just killed; a shadow already on top of it.

"Disgusting."

Hayabusa looked at the savage little creature as it absorbed the body. It was hard for him to believe that he was once something like that. Some shadows didn't even entirely change after taking a human's emotion. Only when that person had a strong spirit, did a shadow truly awaken. Those who took weak spirited victims just morphed into even more terrifying mishaps. The shadow in front of him was one of those and grew taller until it looked like a battered and scabbed chunk of flesh that grew limbs and wings. In the back of his mind, a voice told him that this was wrong, that he shouldn't have killed the reflection, that in the other world, some part of somebody had died. Gritting his teeth, Hayabusa forced himself to walk away.

He had done this work for a long time, but he always felt the conscious of that little boy. Telling him that he shouldn't kill them, that he should walk away from the other mature shadows, but he knew better than that. He saw before what happened to shadows that went rogue; there was nowhere to run and his fate had been sealed. Hayabusa was forced to live this life for eternity.

 _Present time_

Hayabusa paused for a moment, trying to stop the memories that he had of being a reflection hunter. He deeply regretted doing all that he did before, but being sorry didn't repent him of his actions. Kazuhiko noticed Hayabusa's distress.

"You still feel guilty after what you did?" He asked.

Hayabusa nodded.

"There is no punishment suitable for my crimes. After I destroy all the shadows, I shall pay for my crimes with my life." Hayabusa said.

Kazuhiko drew back in alarm. He was about to protest, but Hayabusa stopped him.

"It's not only because of my guilt, but because I'm also a shadow. The only way for people to be safe is if I kill myself after I wipe out the shadows. I might get overwhelmed and turn on them, so it's a must."

Kazuhiko went silent. He understood what Hayabusa's point was, but he refused to let him do that. Hayabusa had helped them in the past; if he was going to die at the end of their endeavors, it would be as if their success would also bring them all despair. Kazuhiko didn't like his friend's decision, but he couldn't do anything about it. He stood up and thanked Hayabusa for his time.

"I think I'll head back to my world now. I'll see you the next time we come to do some training."

Hayabusa nodded and watched as Kazuhiko walked to the front door.

"Daichi."

Kazuhiko stopped and looked back at Hayabusa.

"That was the name of the child whose emotions I took. I'm practically him now so you can call me that now. Daichi Amasawa."

Kazuhiko nodded and smiled back.

"Okay then. I'll see you later, Daichi."

In a split second, time stopped once again. A card appeared in front of Daichi that Kazuhiko could recognize.

 _I art thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the sacrifices necessary to make tpo overcome despair_

 _I present to thee, the Hanged Arcana_

 **So, I finally came up with a name for Hayabusa! I got some inspiration from Whisper of the Heart, a movie that I have come to admire even at my age. Anyways, please review, favorite, follow and recommend this chapter. Also tell me if you want me to keep posting 2 chapters at a time.**

 _Hayabusa's daily life_

 _Waking up_

"AAAAAHH! Get off me you vile creature!"

(shoves shadow off the post of his bed)

 _Morning Jog_

"Shit! Stop following me!"

(gets chased by shadows)

 _Shopping for groceries_

"Hey! Hands off my milk, you filthy animal!"

(constantly has to protect his shopping cart)

 _Clothes Shopping_

"Why can't I find something that fits me!?"

(first world problems)


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I'll save the authors notes for later. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 12**

Hisashi Echihiro

 _(After noon)_

 _April 9, 2021_

 _Shinya Kubo Park_

 _1:42PM_

Kazuhiko was sitting at a bench in the park while checking his phone for text messages. Unfortunately, there were none, so the only explanations that his friends hadn't shown up yet was either because they weren't showing up at all, or they were late.

"sigh, See them anywhere, Tyr?" Kazuhiko asked his Persona.

Tyr nodded as he took in their surroundings.

" _No, unfortunately. Are you sure they said to be here at this time?"_

Kazuhiko opened up the text that Johei sent and saw Mikan's response.

"Yep, it says to meet at the Shinya Kubo Park at 1:30. Unless they wanted to meet this morning, something is up."

Kazuhiko watched some children play at the pond while Tyr took a liking to a plaque.

" _Say, Kazuhiko, what's this?"_

Kazuhiko turned and saw Tyr admiring a statue of a military officer. The statue was made of bronze and was standing on a stone column with a plaque on it. It read, "In memory of Shinya Kubo; An honorable veteran and a loving father".

"I think it's a memorial of those who served in the military. He must have died doing something honorable on the field."

Tyr nodded.

" _I see. An honorable veteran, hm? You said before that people are remembered for what they did, correct?"_

"Yeah, if you did something good, you would be praised for it even after your death."

Tyr nodded again.

" _I wonder what they think of me now…"_

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"Who are, they?" He asked.

Tyr snapped back into reality and shook his head.

" _It's nothing. Oh, here they are!"_ Tyr said as he pointed to two people walking down the pavement.

Sure enough, Mikan and Johei were making their way to Kazuhiko and Tyr, along with Loki and Skadi. Johei greeted Kazuhiko.

"Sup, Kaz? You ready to go?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yep, but where are we going exactly?"

Mikan fidgeted a bit while Johei scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, we had plans of either going or the arcade or doing karaoke. I didn't know what we should do and neither could Mikan, so we need you to decide."

Kazuhiko looked back at both of them. Johei did sound earnest, but it seemed as if they were on opposite sides of the debate. Johei waqs scratching the back of his neck; he would do that or scratch the back of his head if he were lying. Mikan was fidgeting so she was unsure about this as well. Johei obviously chose the arcade leaving Mikan choosing the karaoke. He could give three answers at the moment, two of them would favor one over the other whereas one would leave the other slightly disappointed. He could either choose to go to the arcade with Johei, go for some karaoke with Mikan, or …

"You guys couldn't decide? Why didn't you do a coin flip or something?"

Johei and Mikan immediately deadpanned and felt a slight breeze pass them by. The thought obviously never occurred to them.

"Well … I have a ten yen coin in my wallet..." Mikan said as she pulled the coin out.

They flipped the coin, which landed on heads. Mikan smiled as Johei sighed.

"Luck just isn't on my side is it?" Johei said as they headed for the Mall.

 _Nuzoko Mall District, Karaoke Bar_

"AND IIIiIIIiIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUUUUU!" Johei screeched into the microphone.

Mikan held her hands to her ears as did Skadi and Loki. Kazuhiko, knowing the procedures of karaoke, quickly bought a pair of soundproof headphones from the closest electronics store. Tyr seemed fascinated by Johei's singing.

" _Such an elaborate battle cry! With this tremendous force, we can ensure that shadows within a mile will run in fear!"_ Tyr said.

The song finally ended as Johei put the microphone back on the stand. He gave his friends a look that clearly spelled, 'I told you so'. Kazuhiko took off his headphones with relief and called the service for an order of Melon Sodas. Mikan rubbed her ears.

"I think I need to get my ears checked after this; They're still ringing."

Johei rolled his eyes and sat back on the couch. Loki's monitor face showed a mute speaker which then turned to his normal face.

" _Man, the perks of having a body like a computer."_ Loki said.

A waiter came by, set the drinks on their table and left them to their business. Kazuhiko picked up his glass and took a sip from it while everybody else did likewise.

"Man, that hit the spot!" Johei exclaimed as he put down his glass.

Mikan nodded in agreement as she too put her glass back on the table.

"So, now that we've had enough singing for the time being," Johei started, "Why don't we talk about our current problem?"

Mikan followed him up.

"You're right. After we found Niflheim, we should explore it to see if we can get to the bottom of those incidents."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Daichi did say that it was too dangerous for him to explore by himself, especially since he doesn't have a Persona."

Johei looked at Kazuhiko with a confused look.

"Daichi? Who's that?"

"Oh, that's the kid that Hayabusa's based off of so he wanted to be called that. He didn't want to make us think of him as another shadow."

Mikan nodded.

"I see. He really feels like he's not accepted by anyone is he? A shadow that fights other shadows, but isn't human, it's like he doesn't belong anywhere."

The mood began to fall as they all felt remorseful for their friend on the other side.

"Geez, he's got it tough." Johei said.

There was a ring from the phone and Kazuhiko picked it up.

"Yes?… Oh, alright… We'll leave now."

Kazuhiko hung up the phone.

"That was the front desk. The said our time's up."

Mikan nodded as she got up. Johei downed his drink as fast as he could and walked out.

"Ahhhhh, brain freeze!" Johei said as Kazuhiko held the door open for him. The Personas followed their partners, all except for Loki.

" _Loki, is there a problem?"_ Tyr asked when he noticed the Loki hadn't moved from the spot he was at.

"… "

Loki didn't reply.

" _sigh"_

Tyr floated to where Loki was and waved a hand in front of his face.

" _Loki?"_ Tyr asked.

He then saw the screen. Johei walked back inside.

"Hey, Loki, you coming?"

Johei looked at screen and realized what happened.

"Oh, he's freezing."

 _(After noon)_

 _4:02 PM_

 _Nuzoko Station_

The gang waited for the train to stop while they made small talk.

"So, how did you think you did on the test, Mika-senpai?"

Mikan smiled as she recalled her answers.

"I think I did well enough to get a top ten spot. What about you two?"

"I think I … did okay… " Johei answered, his voice lacking the enthusiasm that Mikan had.

"I'm probably in the top ten as well. The questions were pretty simple." Kazuhiko said.

"Speak for yourself, Kaz! At least you got to have some proficient studying time! I was having enough trouble keeping my mind off of what you two did to me on Sunday!"

" _Johei, Johei, Johei. Did you really think that your grade would have changed in a negative way? The way I see it, it couldn't get any lower!"_ Loki said.

"Shut up!" Johei yelled as he pointed his finger at Loki.

Several people stared at him as he pointed his finger at thin air.

"Right… Man I really need to work on ignoring you." Johei groaned as he tried to look as normal as possible.

"Say, what do you think we'll find in Niflheim? I mean, there are a bunch of awakened shadows there, right? Shouldn't we be worried if we're not able to defeat the weakest one?" Mikan asked.

Kazuhiko frowned when he remembered the shadow that they fought in front of Niflheim. There was no chance of them surviving if they ran into a shadow that was stronger. If only they could get stronger themselves.

"Oh, wait. I think I know how to solve that." Kazuhiko said.

He walked to the Velvet Room door and beckoned his friend to follow him.

"..."

"..."

Mikan and Johei stared at him as if he was losing his mind.

"Uh, Kaz, I know that we can see Personas now and everybody else can't but what you're pointing at isn't there." Johei said.

"Are you sure you're okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" Mikan said as she held up her hand.

Kazuhiko stared back at them.

" _I don't think they can see it, Kazuhiko."_ Tyr whispered to him.

Kazuhiko remembered how Igor said something about him being a holder of the Wild Card.

"Oh, never mind. I'll be right back."

 _Mikan and Johei's POV_

"Whoa, where'd he go?" Johei exclaimed.

Apparently, Mikan and Johei just saw Kazuhiko walk normally and suddenly disappear.

"He… just vanished… " Mikan said, dumbfounded.

They waited for several minutes until Kazuhiko appeared out of nowhere.

"Sorry for the wait guys. Just got a new Persona. Niflheim's got nothing on us now!"

"O… kay?"

Mikan rubbed her eyes and opened them again, as if she had something in her eye. Johei, who felt it best not to ask, walked into the subway cart. The three/six took their seats as they talked amongst each other. Tyr looked strangely relieved.

" _Thank Odin, you finally got rid of him."_ Tyr said.

"Yeah, well I fused him to get another Persona. You remember how I got his brothers?" Kazuhiiko asked.

Tyr sighed as he remembered Jack Frost and Jack the Ripper; He had to endure long nights of 'hee-hoos' and horrible puns.

" _Where are you going with this?"_ Tyr asked.

"Well, I kinda fused them all together and got something that might be less to bear, but still a handful." Kazuhiko said.

" _I'll just take a look for myself."_ Tyr said as he disappeared into Kazuhiko's head.

" _I do believe that some renovations are in order. Where is the throne room? The grand hall? Is there any place fit for my royal behalf?"_ King Frost said.

" _Oh no."_

 _Back in Reality_

"Well, at least he doesn't make bad puns." Kazuhiko reasoned, but he knew that his situation wasn't getting any better.

"He looked kinda strong so I just went with it."

Tyr pressed his palms on his face as he writhed in agony.

The subway cart stopped and the three got off. Johei and Loki walked off to their home while Mikan and Kazuhiko walked in the opposite direction. Kazuhiko's mind drifted for a while, trying to find a topic for a conversation.

"Mika-senpai, you said before that something happened to a person that protected you. Who was that person?"

Mikan sadly nodded.

"You remembered, huh? Well, I guess there's no point in avoiding the subject. That person was my older brother."

This was a first for Kazuhiko; He never knew Mikan had a brother, let alone any siblings, he might have been sure that Johei never knew about this either.

"He protected more than once before. He was always kind and supportive about what I did, but when I was forced into that affair, he could never allow that to happen… "

Mikan closed her eyes and hung her head. Tears started to well up at her eyes. Images flashed before her. Kazuhiko decided that he shouldn't press on the subject anymore.

"Well, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to Mika-senpai."

They stopped in front of her house while they sat on the front porch. Mikan was struggling to keep her tears from falling while Kazuhiko was next to her, lending her his shoulder to cry into. Tyr and Skadi watched from a distance.

" _She really does relate to you in many ways, doesn't she Skadi?"_ Tyr asked.

Skadi remained silent as she watched Mikan. She wasn't the original Skadi; that one had died many ages before, but she retained memories from the original one. Those memories were painful; the gods had killed her father and she was promised a husband who was later killed as well. It was as if she was dead weight, useless.

" _Yes, she does."_

Mikan had finally wiped her tears away as she walked back inside.

"I'm sorry Kazuhiko. You didn't have to stay there for me but I very much appreciated your company." Mikan said as she looked back at him through the doorway.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"You don't have to apologize, senpai. I was willing to do that. Take care." Kazuhiko said as he walked back to the hotel.

Mikan waved as Kazuhiko turned around the corner. When he was out of sight, Mikan walked back inside with Skadi in tow.

" _So, what happened to him?"_ Skadi asked.

Mikan sighed as she went to her room.

"Sorry if I seem rude, but I really don't want to talk about it." Mikan said.

She sat at her desk and pulled out her homework. She answered some questions while Skadi watched her.

" _I have had the same problems that you had. Believe me, talking to someone who has the same experience helps."_

Mikan stopped for a moment, then she set her pencil down. She leaned back in her chair and held the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

"Alright… that pervert teacher pulled me into his car… "

 _Flashback_

"I believe this means we are in an agreement?" Mr. Damosaba asked.

Mikan nodded and awaited the teacher to open the side door of his car. He reached for the handle and gestured for her to take a seat. Mikan was trembling, not only was she asked to do this for the first time, but it wouldn't be the last. Mr. Damosaba would hold his end of the promise, but only for so long. She stopped and tried reconsidering her choices. The teacher began to scowl at her.

"You know what you need? Motivation."

Mr. Damosaba reached for his belt and pulled out a snub-nosed revolver, which Mikan took several steps back in shock.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Your grandparents, let's just say that they won't know what hit 'em if you don't cooperate."

Mikan shuddered. She had no choice now. If she went with him, she could save her grandparents for a few more days. If she left him, she wouldn't have a home to go back to. Life as an orphan child would be difficult; girls always had a better chance of getting out, but that was only for vulgar reasons. The same fate would await her for every decision she would make, but one guaranteed the least amount of people getting hurt.

Slowly, Mikan nodded. Mr. Damosaba smiled.

"Alright then, was that really so hard?"

Mr. Damosaba opened up the door to his red Toyota. Inside, Mikan could see the car cleaned, as if he were asking her out on a date. She ignored this and walked in, but as soon as she put her foot in the doorway…

"Mikan! Don't let that bastard do that to you!"

"Huh?"

Mikan looked back to the front door of her house and saw a boy, just 2 years older than she was, standing on the front porch.

"Hisashi?!"

Mikan panicked and tried to get out of the car but was pushed back in.

"Get back in the car, bitch!" Mr. Damosaba said as he closed the door.

Hisashi ran towards Mr. Damosaba, his fists raised.

"You asshole! You try to force yourself on my sister, you'll die!" Hisashi yelled as he charged.

He was either very brave or he didn't know about the gun that Mr. Damosaba had in his hand. Either way, Mr. Damosaba smirked and held out the revolver.

"I can do whatever the hell I want, kid! Now get the hell outta here before I start to feel less merciful!" Mr. Damosaba said as he aimed the gun at Hisashi.

Aiming the gun at Hisashi only made him even more angry and his speed doubled. Mikan tried to pound through the door, but the teacher held it closed.

Hisashi was now 5 meters away from Mr. Damosaba.

4 meters

3

2…

*BANG*

Mikan screamed as she saw her brother go down on the ground. Mr. Damosaba stepped forward to admire his handiwork. Looking down on Hisashi, the teacher spat on his body and turned to the car, his eyes on Mikan.

"See, this is what happens when you don't do as I say right off the bat. Next time, don't hesitate."

Mikan looked at the body of her brother on the ground and turned away with tears in her eyes. Mr. Damosaba smiled cruelly as he made his way to the car. But before he could reach the driver's door.

"Didn't I say that if you mess with my sister, you'd die?"

Mr. Damosaba's face went pale as he turned around and saw the sandy haired boy standing right behind him. Blood trickled down his shirt where he was shot, but he acted as if nothing happened. He pulled back his fist and sent punch at the speed of sound to the pervert's face.

"Ah! God, son of a bitch!" Mr. Damosaba said as he held his mouth.

A tooth flew out and several others snapped in his skull. He reached for his gun again and tried to aim it at the boy but he soon found it flying from his grip. Startled, Mr. Damosaba tried throwing a punch but it was intercepted by a strong grip on his wrist. Hisashi held onto his wrist tightly, not allowing any movement from it, whereas Mr. Damosaba was writhing in pain.

"Ah… AH!"

*snap*

"AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGHHHH!"

Mr. Damosaba fell to his knees as he held his hand which was broken beyond repair. He continued to scream on his knees, Hisashi in front of him with a neutral look on his face. Hisashi pulled up the monster by his neck and, with one last ounce of strength, threw him to the side of his car knocking him out. Then, Hisashi fell forward.

"Hisashi!"

Mikan finally got the door to open and ran to her brother's side. She turned him around and tried to feel his pulse, but she felt nothing.

"Hisashi… Onii-san… "

 _Present day_

"And that's what happened."

Skadi looked at Mikan with a whole new light. She lost her older brother because of a selfish adult's demands.

" _What happened to the man?"_ Skadi asked.

Mikan sighed.

"I'll never forget him. He tried to sue my family for assault but I was able to make my case as a witness along with proving his history of sexual assault of other female students at Kyuto. He's in a place that he deserves to be in for the rest of his life, but even that won't make me the same again."

Skadi sat down and took in all the information.

" _You wish to see your brother again, do you not?"_ Skadi asked Mikan.

Mikan nodded as she let a few tears slide.

"*sniff* but it's not like I can bring back the dead. He would have wanted me to be happy. I have to strong for him."

Mikan wiped her tears away and stood up from her desk.

"And I should be strong for others as well, including the guys. I can't let myself be a burden to them!"

Mikan walked out of her room with Skadi right behind her.

" _What are you going to do?"_ Skadi asked her.

Mikan walked down the hall and turned to the right and opened a door.

"You know, my brother also was into hunting. Especially bow hunting."

Mikan walked into the room and opened the closet and dug around until she found a quiver full of reinforced arrows.

"He wouldn't mind if I used this. He might have even used this if he found out I was helping those two."

Skadi smiled.

" _You know, I always thought that letting weapons stay on display would have been a waste. They were made to see action but never accomplish anything."_ Skadi noted.

Mikan nodded.

"This is different; This way, he'll always be with us."

Mikan finally found what she had been looking for. It was in an old case, but it still looked as good as new. The limbs were made of light yet strong steel with a hunting scope attached. The body of it was ebony yet shined in the light that came through the window.

"I won't have to rely on others to protect me. I'll protect myself and them."

Skadi smiled as she took more time to admire the custom made bow.

" _Your brother would be proud."_

 **So, sorry I'm late guys; I was working on my new fanfiction for High School of the Dead and just released the chapter a little while ago. Thank you for all the support that you guys give me and this fanfiction. If you're into HOTD, try to check out my new fanfic, HOTD: Onslaught. Please give both of them a good review and leave some comments on what you want to see. Just as an after thought, Who is your favorite Persona character of all time? Mine is a tie between Makoto Niijima of Persona 5 and Nanako Dojima from Persona 4. Both have the best social links and are really cute, Nanako because she always calls you big bro and Makoto because of her awkwardness and personality. (I have a feeling either Dojima or Sae will beat me up after reading this). Anyways, I'm making more characters for interviewing so please comment on who you want to interview next. I kinda stole this idea from Persona 4 spd so don't get mad at me if I didn't do it right.**

Johei Shiroka: Hey, I'm Johei Shiroka from the Fanfiction spin-off, Persona: One Last Promise.

Junpei Iori: 'Sup? I'm Junpei Iori, the secret weapon of SEES in Persona 3!

Johei: SEES? What's that?

Junpei: Well, in my game, there's this club were people with Personas fight shadows during a hidden 25th hour.

Johei: Oh, in my story, there's a world in the mirror where everything is backwards and looks all messed up and dark.

Junpei: Not too bad. I used a two handed sword to fight in Persona 3 and a baseball bat in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.

Johei: Oh yeah, now I know who you are.

Junpei: You do?

Johei: Yeah. The creator of this fanfic played P4AU before and highlighted you-

Junpei:Yes? Yes? Go on!

Johei: As one of the worst characters to play as.

Junpei: WHAT?!

Johei: Yeah, he said that your move set was too easy to use and you deal very little damage.

Junpei: Well, at least I was in a game!

Johei: Wow, are you going for a low blow there? Fine, at least I was a social link in my first appearance.

Junpei: Hey! I did appear as a social link.

Johei: When you first appeared?

Junpei: … no, but I was a social link in P3FES!

Johei: Still pretty sad. You're one of the only people who is a playable character and isn't a social link to begin with. Not to mention that you were only brought in by Akihiko Sanada when you were out late at night.

Junpei: Alright, I admit that I didn't have a strong bladder at the time, but at least I'm an official part of Atlus!

Johei: In your reboot, did anybody want to spend time with you because of how interesting the social link was?

Junpei: …

Johei: My point exactly.

Junpei: But hey! You were based off of me!

Johei: What?

 _In Real life_

Dangstaboy: Hm, I wonder what I should have for lunch.

Johei: Hey!

Dangstaboy: Augh!

Johei: Junpei told me that you based me off of him. Is that true?

Dangstaboy: Well, I, um, I, he, what, how, I, well.

Johei: Oh well, you said you wanted something to eat right? Well here you go.

Dangstaboy: Oh, pancakes? Thanks man! I love pancakes.

 _The author of this fanfiction takes a bite. Why am I referring to myself in the third person?_

Dangstaboy: Oh God! Ah! Hughhhh…

Johei: Loki sends his love.

 **Geez, I wonder how the creators of Deadpool are still alive.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, everyone! So, summer is almost over and I've been working hard to get ready for my first day of school. I hope some of you are on task for your future and really enjoyed your summer! Also, I'd like to know who your favorite pairings for Persona 4 were; they won't contribute to the story, I'm just curious how my readers and I think differently. Personally (pun very well intended), I'm more of a Yu/Yukiko person; They really are meant for each other, however I still think Chie's the best girl. The whole reason I wouldn't want Yu and Chie together is because of how perfect she is with Yosuke. Rise would probably be my least favorite girl since she goes out of her way to throw herself on Yu. She's just not right for him. For Persona 3, probably Fuuka or Mitsuru. I never seen Yukari as a dateable person because of how flirty she is. I mean, her social pretty good, but it doesn't match to anybody else's. Aigis is much better than she is since she was there with Minato at his last moments of life! Plus she acts kind of bitchy in the FES version where she starts a fight so she can bring him back. At least respect Minato's decision to die for your sorry ass! Anyways, here's Chapter 13.**

 **Chapter 13**

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _April 10, 2021_

 _Kyuti High, Classroom B-2_

Johei shrank in his seat, his nose level to his desk. If he had any hope that the position would have made him anymore comfortable, it was soon demolished when he felt a cramp. Loki sighed, as if he had finally grown tired of seeing his partner making a fool of himself, and this was quite shocking for a person like him. Kazuhiko looked back at his friend pressed his palm on his face, Tyr being completely calm.

"Ugh, results are coming out soon." Johei said as he succeeded in sliding even lower until his entire body was under his desk.

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes as he saw his friend in such a state.

"Come on, Johei, it couldn't have been that hard, right? I mean, you said that you only had trouble with the math section because you didn't know the formula, so you must have gotten the other questions in all the other subjects correct."

Johei sighed again.

"Yeah, the other questions were a breeze, but when we got to the math section, the only thing I could think about was the look on that dude's face when he saw hung upside-down in the elevator!"

Kazuhiko stifled a laugh from his friend. The guest that Johei was speaking of had filed a report about what he saw. Luckily, the trio were able to get off the hook and were sent off with a warning. Still, it was kind of cruel of them. Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Well, Loki and I helped you out a little, so you should have been able to memorize that equation. Come on, if we're not going there to see your grades, then we're going to see mine." Kazuhiko said as he pulled on Johei's hair and dragged him out of the classroom.

"No! I'm begging you! Please don't make me go there! If Mika-senpai finds out what my grade is, she'll never forgive me!"

Kazuhiko ignored his friend's plea for help as he continued to pull Johei down the hall. Tyr was quite curious about why students were making a big deal of test scores.

" _Kazuhiko, if I may ask so, why is everyone excited about these grades that they received?"_

"Oh, the students' grades are posted for everyone to see in the hallways next to their names. They can see what they got and who got a better or worse score than they themselves did. As for being more popular, I guess it's because you're smarter than everyone else and they have somebody they can study with to do better." Kazuhiko explained.

Tyr nodded.

" _I see. So the reason why Johei is perishing is because he doesn't want to see how other people look down on him?"_

"It can't be that; Tons of people look down on him anyway."

"Dude, what the hell! You didn't have to say it that way!" Johei said.

Mikan walked towards them after she finished reading the scores.

"Hey, you two. Nice scores on the test, that goes for both of you." She said and passed them to make her way to the stairs.

Johei was dumbfounded.

"Wait, did she just say, 'both of you'?" He asked.

Johei pushed his way past a few students and saw his name.

 _Top ten Second Years_

 _1\. Shiita Nanahara, 50 of 50 correct_

 _2\. Yumi Amano, 50 of 50 correct_

 _3\. Noriko Shiba, 48 of 50 correct_

 _4\. Subito Kureo, 48 of 50 correct_

 _5\. Kazuhiko Sukima, 47 of 50 correct_

 _6\. Makoto Yui, 47 of 50 correct_

 _7\. Rika Ansetso, 47 of 50 correct_

 _8\. Johei Shiroka, 46 of 50 correct_

 _9\. Shinji Arabei, 45 of 50 correct_

 _10\. Momo Suguhara, 45 of 50 correct_

"Oh… my… God…" Johei said.

Kazuhiko clasped his hands together and said a silent prayer.

"Hey, dude what are you doing?" Johei asked.

"Praying to God. If he pulled off this miracle, he must be completely exhausted."

Johei's face scrunched into a frown.

"Come on! You know I studied for the test! At least give me some points for that- Mika-senpai, what are you doing?"

Johei saw Mikan walk back down the stairs with her hands full of candles and incest.

"I got this from the spiritual club. I remembered that some people prevented an apocalypse in an anime this way."

Johei hid his face in the closest wall away from his friends.

"I can't believe it… Even my closest friends don't trust me…"

 _(After School)_

 _Rooftop_

"So, what do we do now?" Johei asked.

The trio had sat on the roof with their respective Personas next to them.

"If what Hayabu- sorry, Daichi said is true, that Niflheim is really run by all these strong shadows, there isn't much that we can do."

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"We can still keep training and I can fuse more Personas. I can support you guys in fights and protect you all as well. Daichi has been in there before and lived on his own fighting shadows so he may have some intel on shadows we've never faced before."

Mikan followed him up.

"We don't have to trek in just Niflheim either, there are tons of shadow nests that are bound to have pretty strong shadows for us to train with."

" _Yes, it seems that right now, we aren't prepared for the dangers of Niflheim just yet. That person that summoned their Persona said that they were the weakest of their group, and we couldn't touch him at all."_ Skadi said.

Memories of the cloaked figure reappeared in their heads. How he mocked them by not even trying to retaliate against them and ended up dropping the bomb on them that they had no chance at defeating him. Sure, he was a cocky person, but he was a cocky person who had an advantage in this fight. There wasn't a sliver of hope that they could take him down at their current state.

"There's no use groveling now" Kazuhiko said. "We just need to get stronger so we can overcome obstacles that come our way."

Johei's mood lifted.

"Yeah! If we train hard enough, we can do anything!"

"We're the only ones who can do this. The responsibility rests on our shoulders alone!" Mikan joined in.

"No matter how difficult it is, no matter who we stand against, no matter what the odds" Kazuhiko started.

"… I've got nothing guys…"

The roof was silent for sometime until everybody and their Personas, minus Kazuhiko, fellonto their face.

"Dude! You led us on and now you have no idea to rally troops?! Talk about a leader." Johei said after he got up.

Mikan looked very annoyed as well along with Skadi and even Loki. Kazuhiko laughed awkwardly as he scratched his shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But we should get going, we aren't getting any stronger just standing here, right?"

 _Mirror Dimension_

"King Frost! Bufu!"

" _Right away my royal subject!"_

Ice formed on the haunted ink stone and cracked, causing it to fall on the ground.

"Alright!" Daichi said from the sidelines.

"Mikan! Cast a Mabufu!"

"You got it! Persona!" Mikan said as she broke her chains that formed on her wrists.

Skadi nocked several arrows on her bow and shot them at the remaining haunted ink stones causing them to be frozen in ice on contact and fall to the ground.

"Their incapacitated! Now's our chance!" Daichi said as he drew his rapier.

"Wait, let me take this one!" Johei said to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded in his direction. Johei cackled manically.

"Here goes! Magaru!" Johei yelled as he broke off the chains on his arms.

Loki cast a large whirlwind at the toppled over enemies causing them to get caught inside, but Johei wasn't done.

"I payed a good amount of yen to make this. Let's see how it works!" He said as he lit a firecracker surrounded by needles and threw it inside the tornado.

Everyone ducked for cover as the explosion occurred and the needles cut through the shadows cleanly. When they looked at the debris, there were no traces of their foes except for several ink crystals. Yup, shadow drops tended to defy logic.

"Nice one, Johei!" Mikan said as she walked over to him.

"But…"

*SMACK*

"What did you use for that?! Do you realize that you could have gotten hurt when making it?! Where you wearing protective clothing? Did you acquire the components from legal areas?!"

Kazuhiko stiffled a laugh. Good old Mikan, always worrying about the least of their problems.

"Come on Mika-senpai." Joehi said as he rubbed his cheek. "You can get toothpaste, wart remover and sewing needles from anywhere."

"She really cares about you guys, doesn't she?" Daichi whispered to Kazuhiko. Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, it's like she's our mother and our upper classmate at the same time. Sometimes, I forget that we're just a year apart in age. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the upperclassmen. She really is a mystery."

Kazuhiko broke Mikan and Johei from their argument and led them further into the corridor of the shadow nest with Daichi holding the back with his rapier.

"So, how many more of those needle bombs do you have?" Kazuhiko asked Johei.

"Well, I have about two more. Took me long enough to get the ratio of toothpaste to wart remover correctly. Even longer to make the canisters and the fusing correctly."

Mikan took an interest.

"Surely, you couldn't have found out how to do this online, right?" She asked. Johei nodded.

"Yeah, but I did learn about it in Chemistry. You should know that it's one of the subjects I do best in."

Kazuhiko remembered. Johei only ever took an interest in Chemistry during school, even when he was a child. It was all to push his skills as a prankster further. When the teacher showed the class a trick with baking soda and vinegar, Johei came back the next day with plastic bottles filled with vinegar and bags of baking soda just so he could pull pranks during recess. Thankfully, the teacher knew what was going to happen and confiscated them.

"Well, looks like it really helps us out now. Nice to see that your talent is going to good use." Kazuhiko said.

Johei flashed a smile to his friend.

"Well, if you guys are interested for our cause, I can show you how so we can make more in less time!"

Loki clapped for Johei.

" _Finally! Something respectable about him!"_

"Shut your mouth!" Johei yelled at Loki.

" _As much as this is ironic, I'm siding with Loki on this. You haven't shown much of your skills up to now."_ Skadi said.

"Well, you know the old saying. 'Better late than never'" Mikan pitched in.

Johei sighed as he made his way closer to the front next to Kazuhiko.

"So, we're just going to keep training for the rest of the day?" Johei asked as he nested his hands behind his head.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Not just that, but I was planning on making a map of this place. It doesn't look that big from the outside, but there's also an underground part of it as well. Plus, the nest towards the top looks like it's made of new material that was just laid down."

Kazuhiko pointed towards the walls which seemed to be more held intact than the walls they had seen on the previous floors.

"I think that it has something to do with the shadows. Daichi, do you know anything about this?" He asked their shadow friend.

Daichi scratched his chin.

"Well, it could be that the shadows are growing more concentrated. If this place has more shadows being made, then it would make sense that they need more room for themselves. We need to get rid of this nest's producer, but that would be another problem altogether…"

Daichi's voice trailed off when he looked ahead of himself. He quickly took cover while shouting to the group.

"Guys! Scatter! We've got an **Alpha Shadow** on our hands!"

Kazuhiko ran and ducked behind a large pillar while unsheathing his sword. Johei and Mikan took cover behind another pillar on the opposite side of the hallway with their weapons drawn.

"Alright, Mika-senpai cover us!" Kazuhiko yelled.

Mikan nodded as she broke her chains.

"Skewer!"

Skadi appeared with her bow drawn and pointed directly at the Alpha. She let loose the arrow and it stuck in the shadow's side.

"It's a Fenris underling! Physical attacks won't be enough to take it down!" Daichi yelled from behind the corner they turned earlier.

Mikan continued to launch arrows from her bow with pinpoint accuracy to avert the shadow's attention while Johei and Kazuhiko barraged it with a flurry of fire and lightning spells.

"Garula!"

"Zionga!"

The attacks only seemed to be brushed off by the shadow and it began to get more annoyed by the second.

"It has repel skills! Get [ast it's thick skin and attack it with physical hits."

Kazuhiko took the hint and different chains began to form on his wrists.

"Alright, Slime. Rakunda!"

" _BLEEUUUGH!"_

" _Did you really have to take him in?"_ Tyr asked.

"Do you know any buff or debuff skills?" Kazuhiko asked.

"… _good point."_

The Fenris underling started to feel weaker as it moved. Mikan's arrows started to get deeper into it's skin.

"Johei! We'll need something big to finish of this guy!" Daichi yelled out as he made several stabs to the shadow's knees."

"Hey, Loki, want to test our luck?" Johei asked.

" _Your luck sucks, considering what happened to you."_ Loki replied.

"Shut up! I got top ten on the test so let's just get it rolling! Sucker Punch!"

Johei broke the cuff of the chains and Loki flew forward with his arm outstretched. He began to pick up speed as the distance between him and the shadow shrank.

" _Holy crap, this actually might work!"_ Loki thought as he picked up even more speed.

At this rate, the shadow would most likely go flying through the wall, but…

The shadow simply side-stepped out of the way making Loki punch the pillar.

" _Goddammit Johei! You and your horrible luck!"_ Loki said as he pulled his fist out of the pillar.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't aiming for the shadow, dumbass."

Loki looked confused, then looked at the pillar.

" _Oh, so the pillar is our enemy now? If that's the case then let's beat the crap out of it!"_

Johei rolled his eyes again and ran for cover as did everyone else. This made Loki look a bit worried.

" _Uh, guys? What's going on?"_

Loki noticed a large shadow forming in front of him. **(No, not the monster one, the regular one that everyone has)** He turned around to notice the pillar he had punched had started to tilt.

" _Oh… Kudos man."_ Loki said before he stepped out of the way of the falling pillar.

The Fenris underling noticed it's situation too late and ended up getting flattened by the pillar.

*CRASH*

The shadow melted into the signature red and black goo and dispersed into the ground leaving a few claws and yen bills. Kazuhiko went towards them and picked them up.

"This looks like it could be worth a good amount of yen. But where can I sell it?" He said to himself.

Daichi walked up behind him and handed him a bag that was filled with other shadow drops.

"Well, I'll just hold onto them for now."

Shoving the claws into the bag and stuffing the bills into his pocket, the team took a few minutes to rest. Johei downing a soda while Mikan retrieved some arrows. Daichi sat back and cleaned his rapier while Kazuhiko made a few adjustments to his map.

"So, we took a turn over there… We just opened that room over here… More shadows tend to gather here…" He mumbled to himself as erased some parts.

"Hey, you missed a spot here." Daichi said, who pointed at a part of the floor that Kazuhiko didn't mark.

Kazuhiko nodded assuringly to Daichi. Daichi sighed and took a seat next to him. Kazuhiko sensed something was wrong with his shadow friend and decided to try to help.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

Daichi sighed again.

"Yeah. I mean, I know that I'm helping you guys and all with the intel, but there's only so many shadows I've faced before."

Before meeting Kazuhiko, Daichi said that he was all alone to fend for himself. Without the power of a Persona, there surely would have been times when he had to retreat.

"I'm good with my rapier, but at times when we fight strong shadows, I can barely do anything. I'll just be dead weight to you guys."

Kazuhiko looked back to Daichi. He couldn't deny the facts; Daichi was helpful in fights for providing weaknesses, but when they got to the higher floors, he seemed to know less and less about the shadows that they faced. He was fast as well as physically strong, but his rapier didn't compare to the attacks that their Personas could dish out. Before Kazuhiko could do anything to console him,

"Hey, guys. Come on! We don't have all day!" Johei said as he got back to his feet with Mikan right behind him.

Daichi sighed as he got up as well.

"Well, I'll talk to you about it later."

Kazuhiko was still sitting down as he watched Daichi join his other frineds with a worried look. He wasn't the only one to worry about the shadow.

" _Kazuhiko, do you think he has something planned that will harm him?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Right now, I'm not sure. Should be best to keep an eye on him." He said as he put away his map.

 _Half an hour later…_

"Tentarofoo!" Johei yelled while Loki cast a shower of powder from his hand.

Immediately, the shadows they were facing were panicked. One or two of them fled but one was unaffected, in fact, it seemed pissed.

"HHRRAAUGH!" It cried, calling more shadows to the vicinity.

A false idol and two fallen angels appeared at it's aid; All of them making their first move. The current shadow that they were fighting, a lustful spirit, was seemingly growing stronger while they felt themselves were growing weaker.

"They're debuffing us! Prepare for an attack!"

The lustful spirit extended it's palms to the ceiling and cast a Mazio sending everyone back, Johei being knocked down.

"Crap, Johei's down guys!" Daichi yelled as he unsheathed his rapier.

As much as everyone wanted to help Johei, they already had their own problems. The shadows all by themselves would have been easy to take down, but they followed their attacks one after the other leaving no room for any actions. Daichi seemed to be the one suffering the most.

"Get back!" He yelled as he tried for a thrust but the fallen angel simply dodged the attack and sent him flying back with it's ruined wings.

His back hit the wall and he lost his grip on his weapon; The shadow was closing in on him. Daichi looked back up at his assailant with a scared look in his eyes. The fallen angel prepared for an attack.

"Bash" He thought.

"Never knew I'd go out with an attack that weak."

He closed his eyes and waited for impact, but then…

"C… Caugh!"

Daichi didn't feel anything yet he felt the presence of the attack connect with something. What was it? He opened his eyes and saw Johei on the ground knocked out. Being his Persona, Loki was out of the fight as well, not being able to move once Johei lost consciousness.

"Johei!" Kazuhiko yelled as he tried to reach his friend but was blocked off by the other fallen angel.

Mikan was stuck in the same predicament, resorting to swinging the bow in her hands due to how close the false idol was to her. The lustful prince looked on as if taunting him, but the day had more surprises for him. Right behind the lustful prince was a hooded and cloaked figure.

"You know that you're just a burden to everyone. No skills, no help, no Persona; how do they possibly put up with you in their group?" It said.

Daichi couldn't place his finger on it, but he had heard that voice before. He cringed at the pain that those words held for him along with their truth. He thought of going out quietly in that fight once he was attacked but he had to ruin things by making one of them take the hit for him.

"All you bring to others is pain and despair. To think that I lied to you about your origins."

Daichi finally recognized the voice now. His old mentor.

"Sh-Shiroe…"

The figure clapped mockingly to Daichi's sudden realization.

"Yes, I am. But did you not take in what I just said? About your origins?"

"You told me I was a shadow, a being made to harm reflections, nothing more. That I fed on the reflection of a little boy named Daichi Amasawa!"

The figure sighed, as if he was dissappointed in Daichi.

"You are so naive young one." He said,

"You really bought my story, didn't you? Well, what if I told you, I lied?"

Kazuhiko caught wind of the conversation.

 _Oh no_ he thought, _I've gotta stop this before he breaks down!_

"Daichi! No matter what you do, you're still our friend! Nothing can change that!"

But his words didn't reach Daichi. His attention was already Shiroe's.

"What if I told you that you weren't meant to kill Reflections, rather, you weren't a shadow?" Shiroe continued.

Daichi shook his head.

"No, I was a shadow. That's the only way I would have been able to kill them."

Shiroe grinned from under his hood.

"Quit making excuses for yourself! You didn't just kill them, you murdered them! Not as a shadow, but as a human!"

That last remark made Daichi shut down. He just kneeled there with disbelief, eyes open and his hands to his hand, telling himself that it wasn't possible. Shiroe laughed for several seconds until he became dissatisfied.

"That's enough fun. Finish him off." Shiroe said to the fallen angel.

"This isn't true… This isn't true… This isn't true…" Daichi said, unaware of the fallen angel charging up for a finishing blow.

"Shut up"

Daichi was pulled back to reality and looked at his fallen comrade.

"J-Johei?"

Johei coughed as he was on the ground.

"You talked to Kaz, right? About how you felt helpless?"

Daichi nodded.

"I am helpless. I can't do anything to help you guys. I can't fight with my rapier, I don't know any weaknesses, I don't even have a Perso-"

"Bullshit. You do you idiot. He did say you were human, right?"

The realization dawned upon him. Yes, he was human.

"So what if you killed people, so what if you helped them? What matters is what you do now. To repay those mistakes you made in the past. I don't give a shit about what you did before; I just care what you do now!"

And that snapped in Daichi's mind.

The fallen angel had buffed itself up with Tarukaja and prepared for it's bash attack until…

"Persona"

Daichi stood up and shown that he had shackles on his neck, hands and feet. He grunted as he pulled on the chains until they cracked. A persona flashed slightly; it showed a majestic black crow with white eyes on his right side.

"No, Personas"

The chains cracked again and this time, it showed an elegant white crow with black eyes on his left side.

"Get ready you bastards. PERSONAS!"

Daichi broke off his chains and a blinding flash appeared behind him, stunning everyone. As the smoke cleared, to giant crows appeared behind him; one made of ebony and with pieces of ivory for it's eyes while the other was it's exact opposite: ivory for the body and ebony for the eyes.

" _Are you ready for battle my brother, Hugin?"_ The black crow asked.

" _Absolutely my brother, Munin."_ The white crow replied.

"Let's do this! Hama!" Daichi yelled.

Hugin covered itself with it's wings and then cast them out wards creating a blinding light upon the attacking fallen angel. The light was so intense that the fallen angel dissipated in one shot. Mikan and Kazuhiko looked impressed.

"Well, then" Kazuhiko said after regaining his posture.

"Ready to feel helpful?"

Daichi formed a cruel yet reassuring smile.

"You bet your ass I am" He replied.

Daichi broke his chains once again.

"Sukukaja!"

Kazuhiko instantly felt lighter and was able to keep up with his opponent now that the effects of the debuffs were gone. He took down the fallen angel with ease as did Mikan with the false idol. After finishing it off, Mikan rushed to the fallen Johei.

"I'll get him back up, go help Kazuhiko."

Daichi nodded and ran to the front leaving Mikan to help Johei regain consciousness. Kazuhiko was holding the fort but still had some trouble.

"I'll hold him steady. You deal the blow." Kazuhiko said as he changed his Persona to High Pixie.

"Sukunda!" He yelled.

" _Kneel before my power!"_ High Pixie yelled as it pointed it's sword to the sky.

The lustful spirit seemed to get slower, giving Daichi enough time lock onto it.

"Mudo!"

Munin imitated Hugin's attack although, this time, a darkness covered the lustful spirit until you could have sworn that the room had no lights on. As soon as the void got lighter, the remains of the lustful spirit dispersed leaving Shrioe as the only remaining adversary.

"Very well done. I think you have exceeded my expectations. For now, I shall continue to watch you progress."

And with that, Shiroe dropped a smoke bomb and disappeared without a trace. Kazuhiko felt exhausted and fell onto his back as did Daichi. Mikan was able to get Johei to sit up straight and forced him to down a bottle of medicine.

"Ugh, that's disgusting." Johei said after he finished the contents of the bottle.

Mikan looked satisfied and put the bottle away while she sat down as well, clearly exhausted. Johei stiffled a laugh and pretty soon, everybody was struggling in a fit of giggles.

"Well, shit. We did it." Johei exclaimed after he was able to regain control of his laughter.

Daichi nodded, although he still looked troubled. Kazuhiko noticed this and got his attention.

"Still something bugging you?" He asked.

Daichi turned to him.

"Not really the same things that was before, but how I'm human, and how I ended up here."

Kazuhiko sat back and let out a deep breath.

"Well, whatever it is, we're going to help you find it. That, I can promise you."

Daichi smiled at his friend and nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks."

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter! As always, please review this chapter and share your opinions on what happened. Did you like how Daichi's Personas awakened? I'll let you know that Daichi is not a Wild card user just because he has two Personas. They are meant to clash between his life believing he was a shadow and his life now that he realizes he is a human. Hugin and Munin are actually the crows of Odin, although they are both regular looking crows. They fit Daichi's earlier known alias of Hayabusa and I couldn't decide one over the other. My original plan was to make one of them his first Persona and the other his evolved Persona, but I couldn't find out very much about them. Anyways, we'll have two new characters coming up in the next chapter so hang tight you guys!**

Mikan Echihiro: Hi! I'm Mikan Echihiro from Persona: One Last Promise fanfiction by dangstaboy!

Ann Takamaki: And I'm Ann Takamaki from Persona 5!

Mikan: So, nice to meet you! It's nice to see another strong female character in a Persona game.

Ann: (blushes) Well, I wouldn't say very strong, but I am pretty helpful in boss fights.

Mikan: My Persona is Skadi, the Norse god of Ice and Skiing.

Ann: My Persona is Carmen, a femme fatale. She doesn't quite fit in with everybody else though…

Mikan: Really? Why not?

Ann: Well, you see, all the other Personas are of thieves or beings that are seen to do bad things for the greater good like Arsene who was a gentleman thief who only stole from people who were worse than himself or Robin Hood who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.

Mikan: Well, my arcana is the Empress. I've got a good chance to end up dating the protagonist!

Ann: … I… I'm the lovers arcana…

Mikan: Aw, don't be sad. Just because Rise and Yukari aren't that drawn towards by the protagonist doesn't mean that you won't have a good chance. It's not bad being a part of the Lovers arcana.

Ann: You know what? Yeah! You're right! I bet Akira-san will like me too!

Mikan: I use a bow that used to belong to my brother.

Ann: I just use a whip that I happen to have after awakening my Persona.

Mikan: Wait, so you just magically got a weapon once you got Carmen?

Ann: Yup.

Mikan: Oh… (how does that work?)

Rise Kujikawa: Hey! What do you mean I'm not drawn towards the protagonist?

Yukari Takeba: Yeah! What's that supposed to mean?

Ann: Who are you?

Rise: I'm Risette! Fabulous artist and stunning back-up of the investigation team in Persona 4!

Yukari: Yukari Takeba, one of the main social links of the Persona 3 games.

Rise: Now what do you mean that we aren't attractive to the main character?

Mikan: Well, you saw the Author's note at the top of this chapter right?

Rise and Yukari: What?!

(Rise and Yukari run to the top of the page)

Ann: So, yeah. I'm part of the Phantom Thieves, a group that explores the Metaverse while stealing the hearts of dirty criminals!

Mikan: Wait, so you get criminals to fall in love with you?

Ann: Oh God no! We just steal their evil intentions so they confess their crimes to the public.

Mikan: Oh, okay. I'm part of a group of high schoolersthat discover a world in the Mirror that has something to do with the recent suicides.

Ann: Wow! That sounds so cool!

Mikan: Not as cool as being stylish Phantom Thieves! So, what's your back story?

Ann: I was… forced to sleep with one of my teachers so my friend could stay on the volleyball team.

Mikan: No way! I was forced to sleep with my teacher or else he would have killed my grandparents. That is, I almost did before my brother stopped him and died…

Ann: Really? Wow we have so much in common despite being different arcanas!

Rise: I can't believe it! He doesn't think I'm right for Yu-kun?!

Yukari: I'm too flirty?! He'd rather be with Mtsuru or Fuuka?! He even thinks that Aigis is better than me?!

 _Meanwhile in the real world…_

Dangstaboy: Okay, I'm finally done! The fourth wall is finally fixed and I can get back to my work!

(Rise and Yukari slam through the wall)

Dangstaboy: No… all my hard work…

Rise: Hey! Who are you to say that I'm not right for Yu-kun?

Yukari: And what do you mean that my social link is no match for everyone else's

Dangstaboy: Just what it means. Rise, you couldn't have possibly not seen how you hugged Yu after he rescued you. Plus your first question to him when he invited inside his room was "Where are the goods?".

Rise: Well, I was just trying to loosen up the tension!

Dangstaboy: And Yukari, you honestly thought Minato was an intruder when you first saw him. Also with his decision to die, you didn't respect it because you had this idea that you loved him so much that you didn't care what happened as long as you could have him for yourself!

Yukari: But I ended up stopping that and realizing my own fault!

Dangstaboy: Whatever the excuses, I just feel like you two aren't deserving of dating the Protagonist. I didn't even find Ann that interesting for a date option.

Ann: WHAT?!

Rise: Oh, that's it. You just have something against the Lover's arcana, don't you?

Dangstaboy: What? No! I just find the other characters better love interests. Yukiko for Persona 4, Mitsuru or Fuuka for Persona 3 and Makoto for Persona 5.

Yukari: Say whatever you want. They'll just sound like excuses to us…

Ann: Let's beat this asshole to the ground.

Rise: Naoto did say that she could make a killing look like an accident…

Dansgtaboy: Whoa! Hey! Hold on! Time-out! Stop! HEEEEEELLLLPPPP!

 **I've gotta find something stronger for that fourth wall.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Forgive me! Iyou guys know I don't deserve this! At least have a heart! Do you not know of mercy? I shall pay recompense for my lacking in updates! Okay, now that's out of the way, I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 14**

This old school / New accommodations

 _April 17, 2021; Monday_

 _(Morning)_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

Kazuhiko walked up to his seat and set his stuff down with Johei right behind him. The gang had decided to take a break from their excursions to the Mirror Dimension due to their abundance in school work. Mr. Ozuma walked into the classroom and started the day off with a long and boring lecture.

"It was around this time that Europe had began to colonize America, but there was no gold there as originally planned…"

Johei sighed as he laid his head down on his desk.

"Dude, how can American history get anymore boring?" Johei whispered.

"Shut up, he'll hear us." Kazuhiko whispered back.

"I see that you seem preoccupied in something, Kazuhiko?"

Kazuhiko cursed as he turned his head back to Mr. Ozuma.

"Answer me this, What was the cash crop that Virginia grew that attracted more settlers?"

"Tobacco." Kazuhiko answered quickly and felt the pressure lifted from his shoulders.

"Correct. Now, the king of England originally…" Mr. Ozuma droned on as he turned to face the chalkboard.

Johei decided to sneak another whisper.

"How do you think Daichi's been doing by himself for the past week?"

"It seems that side conversations are becoming a plague in this classroom! Johei! What were the cash crops of the English colonies in Brazil?"

Johei struggled with the answer as he tried to stall for time.

"Well… it was pretty hot in Brazil… I mean, I know because of the Olympics… the only crop there would have to be…"

Loki signaled Johei as he flashed the answer on his screen.

"Marijuana!" Johei answered confidently.

The entire class erupted with laughter except for Kazuhiko, who facepalmed, Tyr, who asked what marijuana was, and Mr. Ozuma who glared at Johei.

"Well, if you have no clue about my lessons and you so intend to choose to ignore it, maybe the janitor can help you out after class." He said as he wrote down a reminder for later.

Johei sank into his desk while he glared at Loki who was still laughing.

" _You actually believed me?! That is just too much! Of course they didn't grow marijuana, they grew cocaine plants!"_

Kazuhiko sighed to himself, half disappointed in Johei's lack of knowledge, half amused of Loki's humor.

 _(Lunchtime)_

"I heard of your answer in History today, Johei. Why did you trust him on that?" Mikan asked as the group sat on the rooftop.

Johei sighed as he took a bite of his bread.

"I was desperate! I don't study History, you know that! It's a waste of time anyways; What do we even need it for anyways?"

Tyr looked offended by this.

" _How dare you! Recordings of the past have a great role to play in your lives! Why, Mr. Ozuma's teachings of this 'Bacon's Rebellion' clearly shows how you must stand up to authorities who take advantage of you! I thought you would have the most benefit from this!"_

Kazuhiko and Mikan snickered while Loki had another fit of laughing.

" _Yeah! He definitely needs to learn that! Nice one!"_ Loki said as he extended his hand to Tyr.

" _What?"_ Tyr asked, confusedly.

" _It's a high five."_

" _I heard that the thumb as an actual finger"_

" _Just slap my hand"_

" _Is it customary to hurt other's hands?"_

Loki sighed as he withdrew his hand.

" _Killjoy"_ He muttered.

Skadi rolled her eyes at them, or at least it appeared so; It's hard to see when the person doesn't have pupils.

"Still" Mikan said, "You have to start paying attention more or else we won't have enough time after school for explorations."

Johei waved his hand as he finished the rest of his bread.

"Fine, I will. Hey Kaz, can you help me later?"

Kazuhiko froze for a moment.

 _Okay ,_ he thought, _if I spend time with Johei, I can bet that I'll run into Mr. Seijimura._

"Uh, Kaz?"

 _Mr. Seijimura's part of the Hermit arcana so spending time with him will boost my chances of fusing strong Personas of that arcana._

"Kaz? You awake or something?"

 _I should take advantage of this opportunity to bond with him._

"Kaz!"

Kazuhiko was brought back into the real world with a start.

"Yeah, sure. I'll help you out." he said as he stood up.

Johei raised his eyebrow at him while Mikan gave him a worried look.

"You sure are weird, dude."

 _(Afterschool)_

"Alright then, boys. Just fetch me that wastebasket over there and we're done for today." Mr. Seijimura said.

Kazuhiko picked up the wastebasket and emptied it's contents into the large trash can. Johei braced his hands behind his head and sighed.

"We're finally done…" He said.

Mr. Seijimura chuckled to himself when he saw Johei easily tired out from doing his daily job.

"You think that's tough? Try doing everyday minus the weekend."

" _Your strength is pitiful. How are you supposed to fight shadows in your current state?"_ Skadi said.

Mikan had left Skadi near them so she would keep tabs on the two. Johei glared at Skadi as he let his arms fall.

"Well, you boys can go home now. Make sure to get a good night's rest." Mr. Seijimura said as he pushed the trash can to the back of the school.

Johei picked up his bag and took a quick drink from his water bottle.

"You ready to go?" Johei asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko shook his head as he took off his gloves.

"Nah, I should go help him a bit more. You can go ahead."

Johei shrugged as he walked to the front of the school with Loki and Skadi. Kazuhiko grabbed his backpack and followed the janitor. Mr. Seijimura noticed Kazuhiko following him and stepped to make room in the hallway.

"Oh, you want to help some more?" He asked.

Kazuhiko nodded as he took the trashcan from Mr. Seijimura's hands and rolled it to the dumpster behind the gym.

"Mr. Seijimura, how long have you worked here?"

The old janitor mulled things over before answering.

"I'd have to say about 30 years. 'Course I was hired because I used to be a student here; The principal and I were on good terms with each other."

Kazuhiko nodded as he emptied the trashcan.

"You were a student here?"

Mr. Seijimura nodded.

"Yep. Ever since it opened. I'd say though, this place had seen better days."

Kazuhiko set the trashcan down on the cart and leaned on it while listening to the wizened janitor talk.

"It was a nice place here. Some of the best memories I had were in these hallways; I even met my late wife for the first time here. Over the years, though, the school starting losing money, this was after I graduated of course, but it's still here standing and teaching students everyday like it should."

Mr. Seijimura smiled as he imagined the hallways as they were before.

"There used to be tables over there that promoted the clubs and the lockers were brand new and had a good coat of paint. That water fountain used to work quite well, in fact the best one here before it got jammed."

The old janitor sighed happily as he reminisced of his young days as a teenager, not realizing that the sun had began to set.

"Oh, I shouldn't keep you here for so long. Now go straight home, alright?"

Kazuhiko nodded as he followed Mr. Seijimura to the front gates which he locked and waved goodbye to him. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he felt a part of him grow stronger, the side of him that had gained experience over age.

" _He sure is a kind old man. He also cares a great deal about this school as well, even though it's quite damaged."_ Tyr said, his gaze falling on the roughed up school of Kyuto High.

Kazuhiko looked at the school as well, trying to picture what it looked like when it had first opened.

"I know, right? He works really hard to keep this place clean, I wonder why he chose to do this than something else."

Realizing that he should probably get back home, Kazuhiko made his way back to the hotel.

 _8:27 PM_

 _(Evening)_

 _Mirror Dimension; Daichi's House_

"So, I have both of you as my Personas, huh?" Daichi asked Hugin and Munin.

" _Indeed."_ Hugin cawed.

" _We are-"_ Mugin said.

" _The informants-"_

" _Of Odin-"_

" _Himself"_ Hugin finished.

Daichi slightly rubbed his forehead.

"… And you guys finish each other's sentences?"

" _We must"_

" _Be completely"_

" _Coordinated"_

" _To relay"_

" _Messages to"_

" _Our lord"_

Daichi felt a slight migraine coming on in his head. Just talking to the two felt quite painfull and even annoying at times. They weren't troublesome like Loki was, in fact, they respected him entirely, but their naiveness was getting on his nerves.

"You guys really are a part of me. I wonder why have two…"

True, Kazuhiko could wield more than one Persona while everyone else only had one, but Daichi seemed to be an exception to the common rules.

" _Master"_ Munin cawed.

" _If I may be so bold, perhaps you forged another personality when you thought you were a shadow?"_

Daichi thought for a moment.

"Well, I did feel like I had some of that child in me when I thought I was a shadow. I believed that Daichi was an entirely different person; That without Daichi, there would be no Hayabusa. Now that I know that I am Daichi, it feels as if I'm still Hayabusa. You could be right."

All the thinking that he did was suddenly stopped by the major headache that he had, most likely caused by all the information he had to digest in that day; It wasn't everyday that you thought that you were an entity that was meant to screw up people's minds and find out that you were actually human yourself. Daichi wondered how he was even alive in the Mirror Dimension.

Deciding that he wouldn't get anywhere in his tired state, he hit the sack.

"Well guys, I'm gonna sleep. Wake me up if something's happening, alright?"

Hugin and Munin both nodded.

" _Very well, sire."_

" _At the first notice"_

" _We shall alert you"_

" _Effective of immediately"_

Daichi shut his eyes as he flopped onto the couch.

 _10:20 PM_

" _Master Daichi!"_

" _There is a strange noise emanating from this shelter!"_

" _There could be an intruder!"_

Daichi woke up with a start and grabbed his rapier when he heard the house creaking.

"It's just the house settling down. It's nothing" He said annoyingly as he went back to sleep.

" _Understood!"_

 _10:43 PM_

" _Master Daichi! The step just creaked when I stepped on it!"_

" _There could be an intruder underneath it!"_

"Just a creaky stair. Ignore it."

 _11:33 PM_

" _Master Daichi! This cylinder is humming quite loudly!"_

" _It could be hiding an enemy! It reads 'Water Heater: Do not touch'."_

" _Brother, that sounds suspicious!"_

" _Standing by to attack!"_

Daichi jumped out of bed quickly.

"Wait! WAITWAITWAITWAITWAIT!"

" _Mudo!"_

" _Hama!"_

 _BOOM!_

Daichi's house crashed down on him as he jumped out the window narrowly missing the window frame as it collapsed. Hugin and Munin passed through the debris unharmed.

" _Master Daichi!"_

" _We neutralized the target!"_

" _It must have been carrying a bomb!"_

"You just destroyed my house!"

" _Think nothing of our support."_

" _We do not require any thanks to be of service of you."_

"All of my stuff was in there!"

" _Such trivial objects mean nothing more than protecting you."_

" _Had we not apprehended the vile enemy inside the water heater, you would have died."_

"There was no enemy in the water heater! It blew up because you attacked it!"

" _So the water heater was the enemy itself?"_

" _You never realized it tried to kill you?"_

" _Congratulations brother!"_

" _We just succeeded in drawing out a potential traitor!"_

"AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!"

 _1:04 AM_

 _Johei's Apartment_

"pipipipipipipipipipi!" Johei's phone rang.

Johei put the pillow over his head as the phone rang louder.

"Loki, stop it. It's not funny."

Loki groggily turned on his monitor that showed an old Windows loading screen before it showed his tired face.

" _What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything?"_

Johei took off the pillow and glared at his Persona.

"I'm serious, Loki. I've got school in the morning. Stop calling my phone."

Johei picked up his phone to silence it only to notice that Daichi was calling him. Loki loomed to the screen to see who it was.

" _Why the hell is Daichi calling you right now? Wait, is his picture a chicken?! HAHAHAHA!"_

Johei rolled his eyes as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Daichi, why are you calling me right… What? … They did what?… Uh, okay… Yeah, I can spare some room… Okay, bye."

Johei hung up the phone and got out of bed and looked around for something. Loki looked annoyed as he tried to go back to sleep.

" _What did he call for anyways. And can you be more quiet?"_ Loki said.

Johei shook his head as he opened his closet.

"Hugin and Munin blew up his house when they attacked the water heater. He's bedding here tonight. If only I could find that damned spare futon…"

Johei dug in his dark closet but it was no use. So he walked to the door and turned on the light.

" _Hhiiissssssss!"_ Loki said as he ducked under the bed, his monitor changing to a picture of a snake.

Johei scoffed at Loki while wincing at the sudden brightness of the light and pulled the futon out of his closet. He set it on the ground with a spare blanket and pillow until he heard a faint knocking at his door.

"That'll be them. I'll be right back. Don't mess up anything." Johei said as he went to the front door.

Loki, being annoyed by the light, turned it off and set his monitor to "sleep" mode. Johei opened the door so Daichi could come in, Hugin and Munin right behind him.

"Thanks for letting me stay. I was too vulnerable in the Mirror Dimension without a house so I guess I'm living with you until I find better accommodations."

Johei nodded as he yawned then realized what he agreed to.

"Wait, hold it, you're staying here?!"

Daichi nodded as he made his way to the futon on the ground.

"Yep, until I find somewhere else I can live, I'm stuck with you."

"But, you can't stay here. The government only gives right for myself to live here! I don't have enough food to let you live here!" Johei retorted.

Hugin bumped his beak into Johei's shoulder.

" _Sir, I believe that your house is in danger."_

Munin nodded.

" _Indeed. Under our inspection, we found another dangerous water heater. We believe that it might plan on betraying you as well."_

Johei sighed as he explained what the water heater did.

" _So"_ Munin started.

" _It heats your water and doesn't do anything as long as you don't disturb it?"_

Johei nodded.

"That's right. Just don't touch it."

" _But what if it makes the water too hot and scalds you in the shower?"_ Hugin asked.

" _Is it keeping you imprisoned?"_ Munin asked.

"No, I can control how hot the water gets." Johei explained.

" _So you keep it enslaved?"_ Munin asked.

" _Such cruelty! Brother, we must liberate it from it's imprisonment!"_

" _Quite right, brother! Attack the slave owner!"_

" _Viva la Revolution!"_

Daichi sighed.

"This is going to be a long night."

 _April 18, 2021; Tuesday_

 _7:02 AM_

 _Kyuto High; Front gates_

Kazuhiko walked to the gates while chatting with Mikan.

"I wonder how Daichi's faring. I mean, he's human so he should be able to get in this side, right?" Mikan said.

"Well, I wouldn't be too worried about the living conditions. I'm more worried how he can live with his Personas.

Tyr shook his head.

" _I believe that the Crow Brothers will not bring trouble to him. They were servants of Odin and show utter respect to anyone. Someone of Daichi's status would be treated as a king by those two."_

Skadi seemed worried nonetheless.

" _Sure they are sophisticated and more respectful than Loki, but they know not of this world very much."_

Kazuhiko took these facts into thought and shook his head.

"Well, let's visit him after school."

"No need. He already moved in with me."

All four of them turned around to see Johei and Loki with a tired look on their faces. Mikan took note of this rather quickly.

"Geez, what happened to you? And what do you mean he moved in with you?"

Loki cleared his throat.

" _Well, it seems Johei here is a yaoi boy and decided to invite Daichi to his house to-"_

WHAM!

Skadi hit Loki over the head with her bow.

"Thanks for that. Anyways, long story short, Hugin and Munin blew up Daichi's house so he called me so he could have a place to sleep. As for my looks, let's say that those two birds kept me up."

Kazuhiko felt sorry for his friend and made a mental note to buy him an energy drink later. Right now, however, they needed to get to class. Waving goodbye to Mikan, the two walked into Mr. Ozuma's class just before the bell rang and took their seats.

"Oh, just out of curiosity" Kazhuiko said.

"What's he doing now? He doesn't seem one to be cooped up in a house."

Johei shrugged.

"After I woke up, he said he was going to the city to find some other place to stay. Not sure where he is though."

 _Nuzoko Shopping District_

 _Same time_

"Hm, looks like there isn't really any other places I can rent. I don't have a lot of money so looks like I'm staying with Johei for a while until I get a job." Daichi muttered to himself.

He stood in front of a bakery while using his phone to check up areas that had board and breakfast. Hugin and Munin were perched on chairs looking guilty.

" _Please forgive us master!"_

" _We didn't know that it wasn't alive!"_

" _We were concerned of your well-being!"_

" _Please don't be angry with us!"_

Daichi sighed as he put his phone down.

"Don't worry. It's fine you two. Just don't do it again. Wouldn't want to risk getting kicked out of another house."

"Hey! Shouldn't you be in school?"

Daichi turned around to see a police officer walking towards him.

"Aw crap." He muttered to himself.

 _7:45 AM_

 _Kyuto High; Classroom B-2_

Mr. Ozuma had left the classroom for some reason and told the students to study in his absence. Johei leaned to Kazuhiko and talked to him.

"You have any idea what's going on?"

Kazuhiko shook his head as he continued to read his notes. Mr. Ozuma walked in and called for everyone's attention.

"Sorry for barging in, but it has come to my attention that we have a late transfer student with us today! Come on in, son."

A boy walked in and immediately, all the girls stared in awe at his appearance. He had medium length, slightly red hair with long bangs at the front. He was decently tall at a height of 5' 7" and looked slim yet had a slight build. He looked slightly pale but had a clean face nearly immune to acne. His eyes dark brown and he faced the class.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Daichi Amasawa. Pleased to me-"

"DAICHI?!" Johei yelled as he stood up from his desk.

Daichi nodded to Johei in a calm manner.

"Yes, hello Johei."

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Mr. Ozuma frowned at Johei and he immediately sat down. After his introduction, Daichi took a seat near Kazuhiko and Johei while their classmates started to talk amongst themselves.

"There are so many new transfer students this year."

"He looks so hot! Should I ask him out?"

"I wanted to ask him out first!"

The class realized that Mr. Ozuma was glaring at them and quickly shut up as he continued their lesson.

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _Kyuto High; Rooftop_

 _11:52 AM_

"So, the police found you loitering and thought you were skipping classes?" Johei asked.

Daichi nodded.

"Yes, but strangely, my name was on roster for a new transfer student here so I was given a uniform and put into your class."

Mikan seemed confused.

"What are the chances that somebody with the same name was going to be here just when you get caught by police. I wonder if something happened…"

 _Elsewhere_

"Hey! Tell them that Daichi Amasawa is here! I'm Daichi Amasawa! You must listen to me officer!"

"Already got him to school. Get out of here before I take you down to the station."

 _Back on the rooftop_

"Nah, couldn't be." Mikan said as she ate her bento.

"Well then, whether I like it or not, it seems I will be your classmate from now on. Good too so I can stay updated if something happens." Daichi said as he sat on a bench.

Everybody nodded and decided to head back to their classes. They were halfway to their classroom until they were blocked by a bunch of students checking their phones. Johei sighed as he pushed past several of them.

"This generation, am I right?" He said.

"Dude, how do I turn it off?" A student said.

"It's the same with my phone, too!"

"This is horrible… Who would do this?"

The group noticed that not only students were checking their phones, but teachers too. Reluctantly, they checked their own phones.

"Oh god, it's happening again…" Kazuhiko said as he looked at his phone.

On his screen showed yet another person at the same building with a noose at their neck. The same death awaited them as they jumped of the building and died. However, once the person died, the phone showed a black screen with the words of a website on it. It read, " **.com** ".

 _Elsewhere_

"Are you sure that this is the best way to reach them?"

A hooded figure chuckled.

"Yes, this is exactly how we declare war on them."

Another figure sitting in a chair makes a remark.

"So we challenge them to a fight they cannot win? This is hardly worth our time. I say we crush them now!"

"Nah, I'd rather let them get stronger first. It'll be a good fight before we send them into the ground. The taller they are, the harder they fall."

The figure, who looked like their leader silenced them.

"I trust that Kazuhiko will prove to be a formidable foe, but also a potential ally."

He turned to a chessboard that was completely set up and awaiting an opponent. He put his hand on a black pawn and moved it forward two spots.

"The game has started. Now to await their move."

 **So, guys, this chapter was mainly to introduce the official antagonists. As for how the shadows can make a website, I won't answer it because of spoilers. I'm really sorry for not updating on time so I'll make it up to you by publishing two chapters. I recently got back to school and I already have a lot of homework (APUSH is a jerk). By the way, I've stopped my HOTD fanfic until I finish this one; Managing one fanfiction at a time is tough already. Also, the next OC will be introduced in the next chapter. Anyways, here you guys are with more of Daichi.**

Daichi: Hello everyone, I'm Daichi Amasawa from the fanfiction Persona: One Last Promise by Dangstaboy.

Morgana: I am the mighty Morgana of Persona 5!

Teddie: Hi! I'm Teddie from Persona 4. I also have a part in this fanfiction!

Aigis: Greetings, I am Aigis of Persona 3. This is my partner, Koromaru-san who is also from Persona 3.

Koromaru: Ruff!

Daichi: So, we have a human who thought he was a shadow, a robot, a walking bear costume and two pets?

Morgana: How dare you call the great Morgana a pet! I happen to be a handsome man!

Teddie: Really? Can you turn into one?

Morgana: … no

Teddie: Well, unlike some people, I can bearcome a handsome pretty boy. Behold, for my cuteness may be blinding!

Koromaru: Arf! Arf!

Daichi: Uh, what did he say?

Aigis: He says that the only thing blinding about Teddie-san is how white he is.

Teddie: I can assure you that I am completely Japanese!

Aigis: Your background history states that you were originally a shadow from the TV world.

Teddie: … That's… that's true… B-but I still don't count as white!

Koromaru: Bark!

Aigis: Koromaru also says that you're one of the most ridiculous characters there were in Persona 4 Arena and you were mainly the comic relief of Persona 4 alongside Yosuke.

Teddie: *sniff* You mean horrible canine…

Morgana: So, what about you, newcomer? What's your story?

Daichi: Well, I lost all my memories only to be fooled to think I was a shadow. I killed a lot of reflections and caused tons of suicides before I decided to stop and go against the other shadows. With the help of my friends, I found out I was really human and decided to atone for my sins by helping them stop the suicide threat.

Morgana: Well, at least you know that you're human and look like one. In my game, I pretty much was created by this Igor guy and now I'm just a cat. Maybe I can look human though.

Aigis: I can scan to see if it is possible.

Morgana: Wait, you can?! Please, do it!

Aigis: Commencing scan. Scan complete.

Morgana: Well? Well?

Aigis: Entities scanned… cat

Morgana: NO!

Aigis: Bus

Morgana: D-huh?

Aigis: Demented humanoid cat-like being of unknown species.

Morgana: … Are you being serious?

Aigis: Queer

Morgana: Hey! I identify as a male!

Koromaru: *whine*

Aigis: Koromaru says that Daichi seems to be quite the opposite of Teddie and a character named Goro Akechi.

Morgana: Well, now that you mention it, Akechi did cause bouts of insanity in our game.

Teddie: And he's vice-versa of me.

Daichi: Aigis, who is this "Goro Akechi" you speak of?

Goro: Huh? Did somebody call my name?

Morgana: AH! It's him!

Goro: Morgana? Oh, crap. Uh, hi. How's it going?

Morgana: We thought you were dead!

Goro: Ah, well, Atlus left me as a cliffhanger and apparently I'm alive.

Morgana: We really wanted to see you again…

Goro: Aw, you guys actually missed me? Well, I missed you guys too.

Morgana: SO WE COULD CAVE YOUR FACE IN! ZORO!

Goro: AAUGH! HELP!

(Morgana chases Goro away)

Daichi: So, I'm guessing he was an antagonist in their game?

(Several masked people run into the scene)

Ryuji: Get your ass back here!

Ann: I've been waiting a long time for this!

Yusuke: Justice must be served!

Makoto: I'll beat your punk ass to the ground!

Haru: My revenge shall be anything but swift!

Futaba: I'll water the ground with your blood!

Akira: Guys, could you calm down? I mean, do we really have to beat him up?

Persona 5 cast: YES!

(Phantom Thieves run off)

Daichi: Well, I guess that wraps it up. See you guys soon!

Koromaru: Grrr.

Aigis: Koromaru says that they stole your wallet.

Daichi: Son of a -!


	15. Chapter 15

**And we're back! I'll just shut up for now.**

 **Chapter 15**

Operation Chick Farmer / Meeting Iselin

 _April 18, 2021; Tuesday_

 _Shigure's Restaurant_

 _(After school)_

 _2: 42 PM_

"Here's your orders. Two beef bowls, one medium beef ramen and one monster rice special. Enjoy!"

The waiter walked off after putting the food on the table, Daichi's being the most difficult (He ordered the monster rice special). The four hungry teens dug into their food while they talked about the current situation.

"Bringers of Death? Sounds like a cheesy name to me." Johei said as he ate his ramen.

"But they shouldn't be underestimated." Kazuhiko said.

"They caused suicide the exact same way the previous victims did."

Unknown to anybody that wasn't a Persona user, the person had chains on them which eventually faded away as life left their bodies.

"There were chains attached that nobody else could see but us. I think that's enough evidence that this has something to do with the Mirror Dimension." Mikan said as she set her chopsticks down.

"…" Daichi continued to say nothing as he tried to finish his meal.

"Should we tell him that nobody has finished that before?" Johei asked as Daichi still kept eating.

Hugin and Munin were perched on either side of Daichi cheering him on.

" _You can do it Master Daichi!"_

" _Believe in yourself!"_

" _Use the force!"_

" _Center your chi!"_

" _Do a barrel roll!"_

" _You need to stop teaching them references."_ Tyr said to Loki who looked innocently away.

" _Who, me?"_

The humans ignored the crows as they continued their conversation.

"Have any of you checked that site, though? I checked it up but it didn't show up anywhere on the search engine." Johei said as he showed them his phone.

"Maybe it's part of the deep web? Normally some sketchy business wouldn't be on the normal internet." Mikan suggested.

Johei shook his head.

"Not there either. I thought the same thing as well but when I searched there, no dice."

The entire group felt as if the mood had dropped and there wasn't anywhere else to go to. Suddenly, Daichi came up with an idea.

"Guys, maybe we don't have the link to the website, but what about the Mirror Dimension app?"

Kazuhiko quickly took out his phone and opened the application to find a number of profiles on it. Four of the profiles were x-ed out, which included Suzuki, her parents and the to-be-announced victim. He saw that many of the profiles were slightly different from the rest, ranging from self conscious to brink of suicide.

"So, we can use this in place of the website. Maybe we can be one step ahead of whoever's doing this."

The teens put their phones away while they finished their food. As expected, Daichi didn't finish the monster special.

"I-I… even with every ounce of strength I had… that monster still stands…" Daichi said looking at his bowl which was still more than half full.

The waiter came by to collect the bowls and gave them their check.

"Well, only one person ever finished that thing. Ask your friend over here for some pointers." He gestured to Mikan.

Mikan blushed slightly.

After paying for the food, Kazuhiko walked back to the hotel wondering what the waiter meant by Mikan.

 _7:43 PM_

 _(Evening)_

 _Johei's Apartment_

Daichi sat at what passed as a dinner table in Johei's kitchen while Johei warmed up some leftovers from Shigure's.

"Good thing you ordered the monster special when we were there. This'll be enough for dinner, and I won't have to find the right ingredients to make dinner." Johei said as he glared at Loki.

Loki, being the guilty party, just looked back innocently.

" _My, I wonder how that happened."_

Johei turned to get two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks and set them down on the table. He turned back to the microwave and distributed the food evenly between them. Hugin and Munin however began speaking to the microwave.

" _Are you under this man's evil tyranny as well?"_ Hugin cawed.

" _We are planning on a rebellion against him. So far, we have the water heater and the sinks on our side."_ Munin said.

Johei frowned.

"Wait, how did you even know that they sided with you?"

" _I asked the water heater to hum once for a yes an twice for a no."_

" _The sinks dripped water to side with us."_

"Huh, figures."

Daichi sighed and ate his food while his Personas continued with their recruitment of kitchen appliances. Johei did his homework at the table while he ate his food.

"Damnit, I still can't figure out this equation." He said.

The question he was doing was the same type of question he struggled with on the test.

"You just have to use substitution right here. It's easy." Daichi said while pointing out the answer as if it was obvious.

Johei sat there dumbfounded.

"Wait, time out. You can do this?" He asked incredulously.

Daichi nodded.

"Of course I can, how did you think that I got into the second year class? They made me do an entrance exam."

 _A few minutes later…_

"So, this is how you do it, right?" Johei asked.

"Can you please tell me why I'm tutoring you?" Daichi asked.

" _Yes!"_ Hugin cawed.

" _We demand payment for our master's knowledge!"_

Loki sighed.

" _Well, considering you guys are living in our apartment, this is the price you're paying for the bed and board."_

Daichi nodded as he understood the terms of agreement and continued to help Johei with his homework.

 _Mikan's House_

 _Same Time_

" _Should we be worried about him?"_ Skadi asked.

"About who?" Mikan asked while she folded her laundry.

" _Daichi and Johei. Daichi's crows could blow up Johei's apartment, not like that would be a problem with me. But Daichi could also be spending time with Loki…"_

Mikan stopped folding a shirt to look back at Skadi.

"What's wrong with Daichi hanging with Loki?" She asked.

" _Well…"_ Skadi said as she crossed her arms.

" _Don't you think he could rub off on him? One pervert in the group is enough, right?"_

Mikan shook her head and went back to her task.

"Don't worry. Daichi doesn't seem to be like that. If anything, he's more like Kazuhiko. Besides, living with Johei is only temporary. I'm sure he'll be the same when he moves out."

" _Are you sure?"_

"Positive"

" _And if he does?"_

"Why are you so worried about that?"

" _I'm afraid he'll hit on you."_

"…"

"… _well?"_

"Why did you have to put that image into my head?"

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 _Same Time_

"Maybe… but it contradicts with this… Can I do that?… No, it's not possible…" Kazuhiko said as he twirled his pencil.

" _Kazuhiko, what is the purpose of this Sudoku puzzle?"_ Tyr asked while looking over Kazuhiko's shoulder.

Kazuhiko sat the pencil down and leaned back into his chair with frustration.

"I can never conquer this beast… It taunts me in my sleep with it's number puzzles…"

Tyr understood immediately and changed the subject.

" _So, should we go and find out what this group is? We have a lead with the Mirror Dimension app."_

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"No, not yet. All the profiles I checked showed no signs of anyone being in danger of committing suicide just yet. Once that happens, we'll go and explore the Mirror Dimension to find out what's going on." He promised and Tyr seemed satisfied.

Pretty soon, his phone rang and he picked it up.

"Hello?" He spoke into his phone.

It was Johei.

"'Sup dude? Anyways, I just came to call saying that I'm all caught up with my homework for the week. You want to hang out tomorrow?"

Kazuhiko looked confused which caused Tyr to raise an eyebrow (did he even have any?).

" _What's wrong?"_ He asked.

"Johei said that he's done with all his homework for the week." Kazuhiko answered and went back to the phone.

"Um, sorry if this offends you but HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DONE?!"

Kazuhiko probably guessed that Johei recoiled at his sudden outburst which was proven correct at his next reply.

"Dude! You just made me head-butt Daichi! Anyways, I'll explain it to you tomorrow. On another note, you single?"

Kazuhiko never knew that this would ever happen to one of his friends or himself, so he decided to answer him a subtly as he could.

"Uh, Johei, we've been good friends from quite some time now. Whatever you decide, you know that I would completely support you-"

"What are you saying?"

"Well, was Loki right about you turning yaoi?"

Kazuhiko heard Loki on the other side laughing like a hyena while Hugin and Munin were asking what "yaoi" meant.

"No! Look, just meet me and Daichi at the mall tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay, see you later." Kazuhiko hung up the phone.

He turned to Tyr who looked back at him.

" _So, what does yaoi mean?"_

Kazuhiko decided not to answer him and went to sleep.

 _April 19, 2021; Wednesday_

 _3:00 PM_

 _(After school)_

 _Nuzoko Mall Center_

Kazuhiko arrived at the predetermined spot about ten minutes earlier and waited for Johei and Daichi to arrive. Sighing, he checked his phone, yet again, for any texts about changing the meeting place or the time.

"Nothing, why are they always late?" Kazuhiko asked.

" _I'm not quite sure. Is this a habit amongst young people these days?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Beats me. We're just so busy sometimes that we lose track of time. Oh, there they are."

Johei and Daichi walked up to Kazuhiko with their Personas right behind them.

"So, care to tell me what we're doing here?" Kazuhiko asked Johei, who was beaming.

"Well, you know how transfer students are right? All mysterious and charming?"

Kazuhiko took a few steps back from his friend.

"Johei, I completely support you on your emotions, but I'm straight as a pole."

"For the last time, I'm not gay!"

Looks were cast at Johei with pure annoyance, but everybody went back on their business.

"A-anyways, you two are transfer students and haven't been around long enough for some people to know you yet. Which is why I've got a great idea to pick up some chicks!"

Kazuhiko and Daichi looked at Johei and then towards each other.

"Did he tell you about this?"

"No, he didn't."

"Guys, come on!"

Johei tried to get them on the same page.

"Look, that transfer student charm is still lingering; we gotta abuse this power while we still can!"

"We?"

"Didn't you live here Johei?"

"That's not the point! Besides, I don't need transfer student charm to get some babes for myself."

"You were hitting on Suzuki-chan who died a 2 weeks ago."

"Coincidence? I think not."

This continued for some time until Johei got them back to the main focus yet again.

"Look guys, this is the chance for male **bonding.** "

Kazuhiko's eyes suddenly lit up.

 _If I spend time with Johei and Daichi in this bonding, I can make their Personas even tougher as well as any Personas from the Magician and Hanged Man arcana!_

"Who knows, maybe we can even get some hot girls with big ches-"

"I'm in!" Kazuhiko quickly shouted.

Daichi cast a disapproving glance to his friends.

"And you were one of the people I respected the most."

Johei slung his arm around Kazuhiko with renowned faith in him.

"I knew you weren't completely clueless! Come on, boys! We're gonna hit the jackpot!"

 _A few minutes later…_

"So, what's the plan?" Daichi asked.

"Simple my young pupil!" Johei answered him.

"Don't call me that."

"Our goal is to get a girl's number by engaging in a conversation with them. You just got to turn on that charm and they'll go wild for you!" Johei said while explaining everything one a slide show.

"How did you even have that on you?" Kazuhiko asked.

"That is definitely faked, your photo-shop skills are horrible." Daichi said.

Johei sighed as he put away his equipment (Even I don't know how he got that, and I'm the author!)

"Look guys, girls like confidence, humor and looks in a guy. With that, you're all set!"

Kazuhiko sipped on his coffee (they stopped at a cafe) while mulling over Johei's plan.

"Well, that's kind of simply putting it. Doing it for real will cause a sensation similar to stage fright."

Johei waved off Kazuhiko's comment.

"Luckily for me, I have had my fair share of experiences!"

"Like trial and error?"

"I heard that!"

Pretty soon, the guys finished their drinks and waited at the bench for potential girlfriends to be. A very attractive young woman with long black hair walked by and caught Johei's gaze.

"You see, that's the fish we're going for. Time to initiate Operation Chick Farmer!"

Loki made a disturbed face, quite literally.

" _Operation Chick farmer? What kind of name is that? It sounds really lame."_

"Well, you got anything better?"

" _Maybe Operation Babe hunt?"_

Kazuhiko nodded his head.

"I'm going to have to agree with Loki on this."

"Me as well, for once." Daichi added.

Johei shook his head and got up.

"No, I made the plans, I get to decide the name. Initiate Operation Chick Farmer!"

"You still sound like a pimp."

"Shut up!"

Johei strutted to the girl with confidence in his eyes and caught her attention.

"Hey there, beautiful! Mind enlightening me with your name?"

The girl stopped and turned around. Her face looking very familiar.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

She was the girl who tased Johei in the balls.

"Wha-! Oh, I'm so sorry! Complete accident! Didn't mean to bother you bye-"

Enraged, the girl pulled out her taser and shocked Johei in the testicles once again and walked off with an annoyed look on her face. Johei just fell on the ground holding his to-be children while Kazuhiko and Daichi rushed over to help him up.

"I think she just fried my eggs." Johei said in a quiet voice.

The two helped him onto the bench and waited for him to recover.

"Alright" Johei said after he could feel his groin.

"That was just a warm-up round. No more messing around, though. Daichi, it's your turn."

Daichi recoiled when he was chosen next.

"And get tased in the balls? No thanks!"

Johei sighed.

"Look, nobody even knows you. That lady only knows me because Loki here pulled up her skirt."

Loki kept chuckling.

" _And I savored every moment of it!"_

"You'll be fine. Just walk up to a girl and start talking to her."

Daichi looked worried but walked up to a girl nonetheless.

"Oh, he's going for a pinkette? Nice, I wonder if she's naturally that?" Johei said.

Kazuhiko shushed him.

"Shut up, I want to hear their conversation."

Daichi started to have a friendly chat with the girl and they seemed to be on good terms.

"Oh my gosh! You're really funny!"

"Thanks! Oh, I forgot, I gotta go. But before I leave, could I have your number?"

"Oh" The pinkette shuffled a bit.

"About that… I'm actually a guy. Sorry."

Daichi went back to the two with a defeated look on his face.

"It was a trap…"

Johei understood completely and, being a supportive friend, was there to help him.

"Wait, that's a dude?! Ahahahaha! That was freaking perfect!"

Daichi sighed as he took his seat at the bench and got Johei into a headlock.

"Ugh! Okay! Okay! Uncle! I give!" Johei said.

Daichi finally let go and allowed Johei to breath.

"Alright dude, your turn!"

Kazuhiko sighed as he scanned the mall for girls.

"Not a lot of lookers… or anybody that isn't with any company… hm?"

His eyes focused on a girl with long, sandy brown hair and glasses. She looked like she was lost and didn't know where to go.

"Dude… golden opportunity right there. Go for it!"

Kazuhiko psyched himself up and walked in the direction of the girl. She was carrying some books before she bumped into somebody and dropped them.

"Hey, watch it!" She yelled at the person who didn't stop.

Sighing, she picked up her books. One of the books was handed to her and she grabbed it.

"Thanks for that. I swear, some people just don't know how to treat a lady!"

Kazuhiko smiled.

"I know right? But, there still are some nice people around here."

The girl smiled back at him.

"Oh, are you from around here?"

"Well, I've been here long enough to know where some of the shops are at."

The girl smiled again.

"Great, I'm looking for this place where I can buy some notebooks."

"Oh, I know a place that has a great deal. 75 yen for one and buy two get one free."

"Really? Great, I can save some money for some cigs."

"What?"

"Nothing" The girl replied.

Kazuhiko pointed out the store and she left.

"Oh, what's your name?"

The girl turned around and yelled to him.

"Iselin! I'm going to be a second year at Kyuto High! Maybe we'll see each other there!"

The girl disappeared in the crowds as Kazuhiko mulled over the name.

"Iselin? Seems like a foreign name… Where have I heard that name before?"

"Dude, did you get her number?"

Kazuhiko jumped when he found out that Johei and Daichi were right behind him.

"Jesus Christ! Could you not be so close to me when you call me?!"

Johei chuckled as he continued his pressing.

"Well? Did you?"

Kazuhiko shook his head as Johei sighed.

"Oh, bummer. She was quite a looker too. Oh well."

Daichi sighed as well.

"Looks like we have no luck with women, do we?"

Kazuhiko tried getting their hopes up.

"Well, she did say that she's going to our school. Maybe we'll meet her there."

The three decided to call off their plans and went home for the day.

Kazuhiko was walking down the road back to the hotel while Tyr kept mumbling to himself.

"Hm? Something going on?"

Tyr shook his head.

" _Not really, but I feel that she might have something to do with us. Not in a bad way, but that she should be in our group for some reason…"_

Kazuhiko nodded his head.

"Yeah, for some reason, I feel like I've heard that name before. Oh well, I guess we'll see tomorrow."

 **And done! That was really hard for me to do on the weekend. So much homework I nearly fainted. As always, please review this and favorite it to keep these chapters rolling! Remember, I do tis for fun, but I still take requests from you guys! Speaking of which, the next chapter will feature Daichi Amasawa in an interview, so post those questions!**

 _Daichi's first days at Kyuto_

 _In class_

"Daichi! What should we include here?"

"An adverb"

"Correct!"

 _In the Halls_

"My god! He's so hot!"

"Hey, Johei-san!"

"Oh, hey! (Wow, being asked out by a first year!)

"Can you introduce me to Daichi-san?"

 _On Tests_

Johei: Ugh bad grade again. At least I got better than Daichi. He never had any formal training.

Daichi: I made top ten.

Johei: Son of a-!


	16. Chapter 16

_**And, we are back! I guess my regular updates will be every week or a little longer. Ugh, I feel pretty tired right now but by the time this is up, I'll resting up to tackle another chapter for you guys and for myself. Thank you guys for all your support and reviews, I really appreciate it, it's one of the things that I look forward to nearly everyday. But enough with this talk, here's chapter 16. Oh, adtauthor22, I believe that I said in the beginning that Daichi's social link was the Hermit.**_

 **Chapter 16**

The First Failure / Iselin's Decision

 _April 20, 2021; Thursday_

 _7:50 AM_

 _(Morning)_

 _Kyuto High; Front Gates_

 _Iselin Bjorn's POV_

"And this here's the gymnasium" The class representative said.

"You'll be doing the majority of your P.E. classes here."

Iselin snorted and muttered under her breath.

"Yeah. No shit, Sherlock."

The representative turned in the direction of the voice he heard. The girl next to her elbowed her in the ribs; An action she was used to receive from her friend, but still annoyed from it.

"Back there! Would you like to say your previous comment again?"

Iselin smiled to herself. This was a usual tactic; The representative would do this to everyone look at her for a response; the way to counter it was to do exactly what he said making everyone look at him for a response.

"Sure! I said, no freaking shit, Sherlock!"

Her friend face-palmed herself while everyone looked back at the representative who didn't expect to be answered. Fidgeting, he continued on with the tour while keeping his back to the students. Iselin's friend slapped the back of her head annoyingly.

"Ow! What the hell was that for, Rika?"

The girl, Rika, huffed and looked back at Iselin.

"You know very well what that was for. If you're going to get held back again, what am I supposed to tell your parents?"

Iselin sighed as she looked into one of the classrooms, avoiding Rika's gaze. She had been held back a grade last year and her parents weren't really happy about it. Then again, it's not like she liked her parents, anyways.

"You can tell them to disown me; They'll save some money for their favorite kids and send them to college. I, on the other hand, will be just a major disappointment."

Rika shook her head.

"You gotta learn how to grow up, Izzy. I'm not saying your current interests are impractical, I'm just saying that along with art, you need to know some other things to. That all starts with graduating High school."

Iselin rolled her eyes while she endured her friend's lecture. They stayed at the back of the group to gain some privacy.

"Hey, it's not like I'm the only one who doesn't like my parents. Yours want you to work 24-7."

Rika scowled at Iselin.

"They're concerned about my future! Anyways, I choose to work hard, unlike you!"

The two continued to walk until the representative stopped in front of a classroom.

"This'll be the last stop for second-years last names A to G. Please go inside and stand quietly until the teacher asks you to introduce yourself."

Iselin walked to the door with a few other students. She waved goodbye to Rika.

"Good luck with Third-year." She said as Rika waved back.

The door closed and she found herself in front of the classroom along with two other students she didn't really know. The teacher beckoned Iselin to walk up to the front and introduce herself.

 _Alright,_ She thought, _first impressions are everything in a school, show 'em what you're made of!_

"Good morning, my name's Iselin Bjo…"

Her eyes moved to a spot on the left side of the classroom. There, sat a boy with straight black hair that she thought she recognized from somewhere. He looked right back at her as if he had the same thought she was having.

The teacher cleared his throat which brought Iselin back to reality.

"Uh… My name's Iselin Bjorn. N-nice to meet you all."

 _Smooth_ , she thought to herself, _Real smooth._

After all the students introduced themselves, Mr. Ozuma assigned their seats; Iselin's was right behind the boy that she now remembered from the mall.

As she took her seat, she also recognized the other two boys that he was with. It was as if the coincidences never ended.

 _Kazuhiko Sukima's POV_

 _11:50 AM_

 _(Lunch time)_

 _Kyuto High; Rooftop_

"So, looks like we'd end up seeing her again after all." Johei said as he leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.

Kazuhiko would admit that he did see Iselin's being at their school coming, but he wouldn't admit that he forgot seeing her in Mr. Ozuma's transfer students papers.

"Yeah, I guess so." Kazuhiko said back.

"I also got some new students in my class as well. This girl named Rika Colburne sat next to me."

The four of them exchanged their stories about new arrivals that they saw around the halls while the Personas had their own discussions.

" _Don't even think about it, Loki."_ Skadi said.

Loki looked confused.

" _Think about what?"_

Skadi sighed.

" _I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now. Just don't do anything to the transfer students. The last thing they need to know is that Kyuto is haunted by a ghost or something."_

" _Well, I wasn't thinking of doing anything… Until now."_

Loki disappeared through the roof, rubbing his hands together mischievously while Skadi followed him to prevent anything from happening. Tyr was talking to Hugin and Munin.

" _Sir! We have more unidentified persons infiltrating our grounds!"_ Munin said.

" _Requesting permission to set up defenses!"_ Hugin cawed.

" _Sigh, they're transfer students. You're not supposed to know them."_

" _Then how does Master Kazuhiko know that one girl from his class?"_

" _He met her yesterday at the mall. Didn't you see her?"_

" _What about that child with the blond hair?"_

" _He doesn't seem to be from around here!"_

" _That boy was always here. He just recently dyed his hair."_

Tyr heard somebody yell downstairs.

" _What about that boy splattered with paint?"_

" _Nobody here normally has paint covering them!"_

" _Maybe he's trying to camouflage himself from us!"_

" _He must be an intruder!"_

"… _I think Loki did that."_

" _LOKI!"_

" _I swear it wasn't me!"_

" _SOARING UPPERCUT!"_

Loki soon appeared and flew through the roof. A few seconds later, he landed on the roof while Skadi stood by.

" _cough… He… he tripped… the paint can fell on him… have mercy you cruel hag…"_

After several minutes of restraining Skadi from Loki, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. The group wrapped up whatever they were talking about and agreed to meet up after school.

 _April 22, 2021; Saturday_

 _Kyuto High; Library_

 _12: 07 PM_

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _Iselin Bjorn's POV_

Iselin sat at a table reading a book while waiting for Rika to arrive. The first three days to her haven't been all that bad; She understood the lectures completely, finished all her work on time, and didn't attract any unwanted attention (That is, except for one part when a guy asked what her cup size was. What was his name? Joey? John?). She wasn't used to the schedule of there being a one day weekend and, as a result, woke up later than usual.

"I am never getting used to this…"

Speaking of Rika, she told her to meet her in the library today, but she didn't even show up. Feeling discouraged, Iselin checked her phone for the time.

"12:10, what's taking her so long?"

Iselin hadn't seen her friend at all the entire day, and she was roommates with her at the dorms. Iselin sighed as she couldn't wait any longer and picked up her bag. She was about to open the door until she collided with her friend.

"Ah! Oh, sorry. Are you ok-"

In front of her, Rika had tears streaming down her face and her eyes red from crying. Iselin suddenly turned serious and pulled Rika closer to herself in a hug and guided her away from the areas that were filled with people. Pretty soon, they settled near the shed where Iselin wiped her tears away in an almost motherly way.

"There, can you tell me what's going on?" Iselin said softly.

Rika took deep breaths until she could speak in small jumbles.

"I-i-it's… m-my parents…"

Iselin swore to herself. She had met Rika's parents before and they seemed like nice enough people until they found out that Iselin was held back. Now, they wanted Rika to have nothing to do with her, but that didn't stop anything.

"What did they say?"

Rika looked up at Iselin and continued to cry while she recounted the events.

 _(Flashback)_

Rika was walking down the hallways until her phone vibrated notifying her of an incoming call. She pulled it out and saw the caller ID.

"Mom and Dad's calling? Wonder what it is this time."

She answered the call and put her ear against the top.

"Hello?"

On the other side, she could hear her father.

"Alright, you better explain to me why your grades have fallen!"

She sighed as if she had this conversation numerous times before.

"Don't worry, it's the first grade of the year. It'll mull ove-"

"I don't give a shit!" Her father yelled at her.

She recoiled from the volume with a shocked look on her face. Her father had gotten angry at her numerous times, but never did he cuss her. He continued.

"This is your last year! You can't f*** around this year!"

She listened on in disbelief.

"You listen to me right now! I put so much of my work into you, making sure you were fed properly, had a good place to live, even got you clothes! I expect that you repay me in full! You go to college, get a job and pay for your mother and my expenses!"

Rika started to walk into a more private location where she wouldn't be seen.

"Dad, I know that you're angry, but I can still-"

"SHUT UP! IF YOU CAN'T FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE, WHY THE HELL DID I EVEN RAISE YOU?!"

Rika stopped.

"… W-what?"

"You were born because we needed money! We had other children who failed us! You could have been our success, but now you throw it all away?! We should have sold you!"

Rika brought the phone away from her ear, her father's angry yelling could still be heard from the distance.

"Are you listening to me?! Answer me, goddamnit! You better no-"

*beep*

"Call ended"

 _(Present)_

Iselin tightened her fist just hearing the story.

 _That bastard, how dare he say something like that to Rika!_

Rika continued to cry while Iselin tried to comfort her.

"Hey, don't cry. Just crying right now means your losing the fight with him. Don't let him get to you."

After several minutes, Rika sobs reduced to sniffles and hiccups. She seemed okay for now but looked like a balloon that was about to burst.

Deciding that it would be a good idea, Iselin brought her to the psychiatrist and walked back to the classroom where she got chewed out by Mr. Ozuma until she explained the situation and was let off the hook.

 _(Same time)_

 _Kazuhiko's POV_

Kazuhiko sat back in his seat and waited for the bell to ring. He looked behind himself and saw Iselin's seat empty. Shrugging, he looked to the front of the class as the lunch bell sounded.

"Alright class. Let's get back to those pages in the textbook."

It wasn't until ten minutes later that Iselin arrived back to the classroom.

"Well, it looks like being a new transfer student means you can come in late!"

Iselin glared at Mr. Ozuma but changed her look when she spoke.

"Sorry for coming latee sir, but my friend, Rika, had an incident with her parents on the phone. I had to bring her to the psychiatrist.."

Mr. Ozuma nodded in undertanding.

"I see. Very well, then. Head back to your seat and continue the work."

Iselin went back to the desk behind Kazuhiko and started to work. Suddenly, he felt a slight vibration from his pocket. Similarly, Johei felt one in his pocket too.

" _Holy shit! Johei, don't tell me you have a vibrator!"_ Loki said.

Johei glared at Loki and pulled out his phone to check what was the matter. He immediately looked at Kazuhiko and pointed to his phone.

"Dude." He whispered.

"The Mirror Dimension app just sent me a notification!"

Kazuhiko was about to take out his phone until he saw Mr. Ozuma turning around.

 _Best not to get in trouble now_ he thought to himself.

"Meet up at the mall later." Kazuhiko whispered back before he felt a menacing glare on him.

Kazuhiko looked to the front of the class and noticed Mr. Ozuma's eyes staying on him while his hand clutched a piece of chalk.

"Uh oh."

 **Going into super cool anime battle perspective here.**

Their eyes met with precision. Kazuhiko began to sweat nervously as he processed the information that he saw.

The slack jaw of Mr. Ozuma tightened as he brought his right hand up. Muscles started to build up in his arm as he readied to fire the white cylinder missile.

But Kazuhiko saw this coming. It hasn't been very long, but Kazuhiko learned much in the time they last faced off. He trained endlessly in the Mirror Dimension for this moment.

At home, he replayed the encounter endless times in his head analyzing every movement. Now, he was ready.

"Special Move! Chalk Flurry!"

It was as if the battle played in slow motion. The murderous intent on the teacher's face shown Kazuhiko how serious this was. As the chalk left his hand Kazuhiko tightened his fingers.

He must keep a subtle face, lest his appearance gave his plan away. The deadly projectile was now less than a meter away from his face. Now was the time to act.

With not a second to lose, he pulled up his textbook to deflect the attack. The enemy stared in disbelief.

"W-what is that?"

Kazuhiko smiled back at him.

"I have been training just for this moment, Ozuma-sensei!"

His defense was locking into place, now it was time to see if his training had been worthwhile.

"Ultimate Textbook Defense!"

The chalk had come in contact…

Kazuhiko sweat profusely…

And it bounced off!

Kazuhiko felt the tears streaming down his face. All his time and effort, and he finally caught up! He finally proved himself to those around him that he would not stand for the tyranny of the classroom! His lifelong goal was complete! He looked at the piece of chalk that had tormented him for weeks with triumph…

Until it hit Johei in the face…

"Ow!"

The classroom erupted with laughter, even Mr. Ozuma laughed a little bit but gave Kazuhiko a warning glare. Johei rubbed his forehead complaining. Loki however, was mesmerized by the performance.

" _Johei! We have to start training more often! First, become a world renowned hacker!"_

Johei looked confused.

"Why do I need to be a hacker?"

" _To discover the Matrix of course! How else are you gonna dodge like Keanu Reeves?"_

 _3:32 PM_

 _(After school)_

 _Nuzoko Mall Center_

"So, it looks like a person named Rika Colburne is in danger of committing suicide huh?" Kazuhiko said as he looked at his phone.

Mikan looked worried when she saw her classmate's name on the app, but was determined to stop it at all costs. Johei held his bag of bombs and his yari, ready for action while Daichi held a bag that contained a newly purchased jian (his rapier couldn't be recovered after his house collapsed).

"You guys all set?"

Four heads nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's find her."

 _Mirror Dimension_

 _4:04 PM_

"Masamune! Giant Slice!" Kazuhiko yelled as he shattered the chains that formed on his wrists.

" _They shall face a blade none have ever seen!"_

An old yet nimble swordsman dressed in white robes started to unsheathed his blade and appeared on the other side of the shadows they were facing while sheathing it. The shadows look confused before they felt slash marks on their chests and fell down in pieces.

Kazuhiko sat back and rested while drinking a can of soda. The others downed a drink as well, feeling the strength returning to their bodies. Daichi opened the app on his phone.

"Her reflection should be right above us. Let's rest a little longer so we're prepared."

Hugin and Munin cawed along.

" _Listen to Master Daichi, you must."_

" _True are the wisdom of his words."_

Everyone glared at Loki for training the Crow brothers in movie references.

" _Hey, be glad I didn't teach them any other things!"_

Kazuhiko got up and held his zweihander over his shoulder.

"Alright, guys. Let's keep moving."

The entire group got back onto their feet and readied for an incoming attack while Kazuhiko led them up the stairs. Pretty soon, they were in front of a large door. At Kazuhiko's mark, they opened it and ran into a defensive position. They saw the reflection on the ground while a hooded person had their foot on top of the reflection's head.

"You see that? That's what they think of you!"

The person kicked the reflection in the stomach. Johei tried to run to the reflection's aid but was stopped by yet another invisible forcefield. The figure continued.

"Why let them win, Rika Colburne? Why let them use you as a tool for their own benefit?"

The figure now kneeled down to look right in the reflection's eyes.

"Why live when it helps those rotten people?Why live, when you can do so much better by dying?"

Kazuhiko couldn't stand it anymore. He shattered his chains.

"TYR!"

" _Zionga!"_

The lightning bolt deflected off the surface of the forcefield and broke a pillar beside them. Frustrated, Kazuhiko shattered his chains again.

"Masamune!"

" _Giant slice!"_

"Slime!"

" _Bufula!"_

"Pyro-Jack!"

" _Hee-hoo! Agilao!"_

All the attacks were redirected until Kazuhiko was worn out. He fell on his knees watching the reflection lose all hope.

"Kill yourself, and win the battle. Kill yourself, and stop their plans. Kill yourself, and you will be a hero."

The figure said as it pulled out a gun and pointed the barrel to the reflection's head. Kazuhiko flung himself on the barrier and pounded his fists on the surface, but watched in vain as the reflection of Rika Colburne died.

*BANG*

 _April 23, 2021; Sunday_

 _City District_

 _1:24 PM_

 _Iselin's POV_

Iselin checked her phone yet again for any updates or change of times from Rika, but didn't see anything. Finding it strange, she put her phone away and looked around. She was in the plaza and was near the large building, but Rika was nowhere in sight.

Despite being here for only four days, Iselin had heard about this particular building, how it gained popularity in a short time for something that happened, but she couldn't remember what. She decided to call Rika.

The phone rang until she heard her friend's voice.

"Hey, Rika where are you?"

"Hi Izzy, you're probably hearing this because I'm too busy doing something or I'm too lazy to pick up my phone. Leave me a message."

 _It turned out to be her voicemail_ Iselin thought, _I never thought I'd hear that…_

Only then did she realize that a few classmates from Kyuto were near her; Kazuhiko Sukima, Johei Shiroka, and her senpai Mikan Eichihiro.

"Hey, guys! Over here!"

Strangely, they were all looking up at the building, as if they expected something. Iselin turned and looked up.

 _Oh well, nothing there… Wait, someone's up there…_

Then, in a moments realization, she recognized the person.

"Rika! Rika don't jump!"

She ran to the building and up the flight of stairs to the roof only to realize that she was several minutes too late. There her friend was, dangling by the rope on her neck, dead.

The billboards around here showed a simple yet clear message: Her parents did this.

Angrily, she screamed at the top of the roof until she realized her phone was buzzing. She took it out and realized she was sent a link to a website, TheBringersofDeath. In it were simple instructions to kill anybody on the face of the planet. It was very simple, all you had to do was type the name of somebody and send it.

Iselin wondered why she was given this, but realized that this was how she brought her rage. This was how she would avenge Rika. She hastily entered the names of Rika's parents.

And pressed send.

 **Yes! I finished on time! Just soo you guys know, Rika's experience was based off of some experiences of my own. Sometimes, I felt like my parents were using me just so they could profit off of me, and that is true to some extent. Now, they are getting better, but they still tend to feel like I should help them. Anybody who feels this way, just remember that you are not alone. If it weren't for my friends, I probably wouldn't be here writing this fanficton for you guys. Just take a moment to put yourselves in someone's shoes like that and take a moment of silence for them. Also, I checked up some authors that are updating twice a week. I highly recommend that you show your appreciation to those hard-working people who do this for nonprofit; whether it's for fun or for their readers, shower them with thanks; It'll really make someone's day.**

 _Interview with Daichi Amasawa, Hugin and Munin_

Dangstaboy: Hello everybody! Please welcome to the stage, Daichi Amasawa!

Daichi: Geez, Johei was right, this place is kind of low budget.

Dangstaboy: I'll just ignore that. Welcome to the after show! Where I ask all my characters questions from the audience!

Daichi: After show? How the heck did I get here?

Dangstaboy: Do not be alarmed, you are fast asleep in the real world.

Daichi: Didn't Kaz say that a guy named Igor tell him that? Your nose doesn't seem very sharp.

Dangstaboy: You know what? Let's just get into the questions right now.

Daichi: Okay, sounds good.

Dangstaboy: Question one from our ever faithful viewer, RosyMiranto18: "What happened to the other Amasawa Daichi that got mixed up with you?"

Daichi: I don't really know.

Dangstaboy: Well, that guy was thrown out. Apparently, he was charged with identity fraud, but that guy was only here for humor. Let's just say that in actuality, Igor pulled some strings.

Dangstaboy: Question two for Hugin and Munin: Is there someone or something that you didn't feel suspicious at all, without counting Odin and Daichi of course.

Hugin: Well, there was Master Kazuhiko.

Munin: Ah, yes. He resembles a power similar to our late Master Odin.

Hugin: Of course, we only serve Master Daichi now.

Munin: But what if Master Kazuhiko has ties with Master O-

Dangstaboy:Whoa! Hold it! Sorry guys, you're going into spoiler territory there.

Dangstaboy: Question 3 for Daichi: How could you use Photoshop? Is it because of the remnants of your lost memories or have you relearned to use it in your short while in the real world?

Daichi: Well, I picked it up from Johei who was taking classes for it. Speaking of photoshop, you should really check out his profile picture. It's his face on a flexing body of Brad Pitt. Hilarious.

Dangstaboy: I… don't need to see that. Next one: When you finally have a chance to move into your own house, what kind of place that you have been dreaming of?

Daichi: Well, I guess a simple house. One with enough room for a dinner table, living room and a bedroom.

Dangstaboy: No need to be modest, go ahead and say whatever you want!

Daichi: Well, okay then. I'd make a small gym on the first floor with a treadmill and complete weight set along with a lounge filled with a 75 in flat screen and cooler couch. The kitchen would have a grill station along with an oven and two door refrigerator. The bedroom would have a balcony outside and a swimming pool in the back.

Dangstaboy: Keep in mind that I am not giving you that house.

Dangstaboy: Alright. Ooh a newcomer to reviews. These are from otakuteru: What does your full appearance look like?

Daichi: Well, I have reddish hair with long bangs in the front that cover some of my eyes. My skin is slightly pale from my days in the Mirror Dimension but it's getting a little darker now that I'm in the real world. Imagine a Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom with a little longer bangs, a more hardened and neutral look on his face and the eyes are brownish blue. I'm somewhat 5' 7" and my legs and arms are a bit slender. I look a little scrawny but I have a decent build that I hide underneath clothes that are a little bigger than my size.

Dangstaboy: Alright. Next ones are for Hugin and Munin: Have any ally to defeat The Evil Tyrant? (Johei)

Hugin: Sadly, we have not rounded any new troops in the time that we have covered.

Munin: Indeed. We tried persuading the knives and forks that would work well with our offense.

Hugin: But they never responded to us.

Munin: Think of the lives you would save from slavery!

Hugin: But no, they wouldn't fly into the air to agree with us.

Dangstaboy: Okay… Next question: Who gave you those references?

Hugin: Well, the prankster has enlightened us of many chants that can be used in this world.

Munin: Most that we have learned are of movies that Johei has, like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Dangstaboy: Johei is such a nerd. Then again, I do like those movies too. Next one from adtauthor22: Are you doing alright? I mean a lot happened recently, so I want to see if you're holding up well.

Daichi: I will admit… Having found out that I'm human was a real shocker to me… but thank you for asking. I am fine, in fact, I feel that I can finally repent for my sins. With everyone at my side, I feel like I kind move the difference of the world to the positive side.

Dangstaboy: Wow, that really moved me, man. That was… *sniff* so beautiful…

Daichi: Are you crying?

Dangstaboy: uh… no. Here's another question: Has Johei introduced you to any franchises yet? Y'know, like Neo-Featherman?

Daichi: Actually, Johei never introduced me to that. It was actually Mika-senpai.

Dangstaboy: D'huh? She did?

Daichi: Yeah, she did. She said that she loved the show as a child. She even memorizes all the opening theme songs for all the seasons. She even has an autograph of Yukari Takeba.

Dangstaboy: I … did not know that…

Daichi: Yeah, well she said that whatever she said in that room, stayed in that room.

Dangstaboy: …I am really concerned for your future right now.

Dangstaboy: Alright, last question from RosyMiranto18: Would you like to retake your wallet from 'The Phantom Thieves of Wallets' and/or tellls Hugin and Munin to do the job? If so, then how could you do it?

Daichi: Oh, them. Yeah, I've been scheming my revenge for them for quite some time now… I will strike in the near future. Phantom Thieves, watch your backs!

Dangstaboy: Wow, such enthusiasm! Well, that's the end of our show. Until next time Daichi!

Daichi: Okay, bye!

 _Daichi disappears_

Dangstaboy: Well, that went better than expected. Plus, I have something of his now.

 _In the fanfiction world_

Daichi: Where is it?!

Johei: Where's what?

Daichi: I just got a new wallet! I couldn't have possibly lost it again!


	17. Chapter 17

**Labor day is among us! Sorry that I updated a little late, just felt that I needed a break from all the stuff I have for school. Keep in mind that I'll get even more busy so I won't always be able to meet deadlines. Anyways, a shout-out to my new followers hyperdragon97 and God of Ka; you guys rock! Also, if you know what's going on in Texas, I highly recommend you donate to those in need; It's one thing to donate because someone tells you to, but it's another to do it out of the goodness of your heart. Sorry if I'm taking too long with this intro, I just want to help a lot of people out through my writing, this is one of those ways. Enough with this intro, here's Chapter 17!**

 **Chapter 17**

The One that Carries Us All

 _April 23, 2021; Sunday_

 _2:30 PM_

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe_

 _Kazuhiko POV_

"And we got another hit." Daichi said as he held his phone in one hand while setting down his coffee down on the table with his other.

Everyone else seemed somber at the table: Johei set his face down, refusing to meet anyone's gaze; Mikan looking at the fountain spew water; Kazuhiko crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Daichi sighed as he sat back into his chair.

" _They just failed rescuing somebody. Of course they would hesitate to try again."_ He thought to himself.

Standing up, he faced all of them.

"Guys, I know this is a lot to process-" He started.

"How can we save them now?" Kazuhiko interrupted.

Daichi stopped and looked at the team's leader.

"There was a forcefield stopping me from getting to the reflection. If we can't get past it, how are we supposed to save them?"

Daichi opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it once more. True, if they couldn't get to the reflection, there was no chance that they could save the person. It was as if the Bringers of Death had already hanged them up by their clothes and left them completely helpless. They were already in a checkmate. Daichi took one last look at his phone screen and saw the faces of two new people that would soon be made to commit suicide: Daina and Samuel Colburne.

With a defeated look, Daichi put his phone back into his pocket and sat back down, sharing in the current depression of the group. There was no more motive for the team to continue; They were the only people with the power to save others in the Mirror Dimension yet they had failed to save a classmate that spent less than a week in their school. Mikan checked her watch.

"Looks like I have to get back to work at the hotel. I'll be going now."

Johei motioned for Daichi to follow him.

"We'll be going back home. I should get something cooking for dinner."

Loki nodded.

" _For once, I don't feel like pulling any pranks on you."_

Daichi got up from his chair and tilted his head to Hugin and Munin to get up. They bowed to Kazuhiko before leaving.

" _We bid you farewell, Master Kazuhiko."_

" _May your travels be safe."_

Pretty soon, Kazuhiko and Tyr were the only ones at the table.

" _Kazuhiko, I know that failure can hurt."_ Tyr started.

" _But from the time that I have been here, I have heard of a frequently used saying. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again'"_

Kazuhiko rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked back at his Persona.

"Yes, that's true, but every time we try, a person's life is at risk. We can't just spend them like yen bills."

" _But to have victory, sacrifices must be ma-"_ Tyr started.

"When we made this group, it's goal was to save lives, not let people die until we do it right. Either we save people from the chains of despair or we don't. That's that."

Realizing that there wouldn't be any further arguing on the matter, Tyr went silent. Kazuhiko picked up his cup of coffee and sipped it, not knowing if the bitter taste was from his drink or his resolve. He set it down after finishing the contents and stood up to leave.

"Hey!"

Kazuhiko turned around to see a man in an apron.

"Your friends did say that you were paying the check, right?"

Kazuhiko paused as he deadpanned.

"Ah $#!t."

 _7:44 PM_

 _(Evening)_

 _Johei and Daichi's apartment_

The two boys slumped on the couch, Johei with the TV remote in hand switching through the channels, Daichi looking at the screen with a bored expression. Loki and the Crows were having an argument in the kitchen, but that didn't really matter.

" _I told you, the table can't respond to you!"_

" _But it did in the Mirror Dimension! It had forks and knives flying above it!"_

" _We must harness it's power for both our defenses and our offensive strike team!"_

" _This is in the real world! It's not going to respond!"_

Johei sighed as he found that there was nothing on TV except for the recent reports of the suicides. Placing the remote on the table, he covered his face with his hands and leaned his head back. Daichi looked at the TV trying to focus on the newscaster, but failed to maintain his attention. He reached for the remote.

"The body was found on top of the-"

*CLICK*

"So, I guess this is it, huh? No more expeditions of Niflheim, no more saving people, nothing. We just sit on our asses while the world moves without us." Daichi said.

Johei took his hands off his eyes and glared at his roommate.

"You just have to make everything sound so lame, don't you?"

Daichi crossed his arms.

"Well, we have the opportunity to save people from dying yet here we are sitting in front of a TV doing nothing. Does any of that sound exciting to you?"

Johei sighed in defeat as he got up and walked to the kitchen.

"Good point. I guess it does sound pretty lame."

Hugin cawed.

" _Now kitchen sink! Unleash your scathing fury upon your tyrant!"_

The kitchen sink did not reply nor did it spray Johei with scathing water. Loki shook his head.

" _See, I told you that it's not alive. That thing just drips all the time."_

Hugin and Munin, however, payed no attention to him.

" _We went over our plans of attack clearly!"_

" _Everyone attended! You were to be the opening move to subdue him!"_

" _We must undergo another session to make sure our attack is flawless!"_

" _You guys are really weird…"_

Johei scooped two bowls of rice and set them on the table while Daichi placed the steamed fish onto a plate. The two met at the table where they exchanged their bearings and sat down to eat. The meal tended to be less enjoyable than the previous ones they had before. Daichi barely even touched his food while Johei decided that he would eat only a grain of rice every minute. Loki decided to be supportive for once.

" _So, hey, when should we go back to that place? The Mirror Dimension? We could really use that training, right?"_

Neither of the boys answered as they sat at the table.

" _Master Daichi, should we not carry out justice like we planned to?"_

" _Indeed. Our goal was to erase the shadows to help others. When are we to continue?"_

Daichi sighed as he put his elbows on the table.

"Kazuhiko already made that clear with us. We can't do anything. We're not going back."

" _And since when do you guys follow the rules?"_ Loki asked.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Okay, touché. I'll give you that, but this is different. We really can't do anything about it. I don't think I can take it anymore if we see another person get killed on our watch."

Hugin cawed.

" _The next people will die because you didn't do anything."_

" _My brother speaks the truth. Better to do something you know is right and fail than to accept failure before trying."_

Loki nodded in agreement.

" _Yeah. See, I'm siding with them. If that's possible, saving reflections will be a piece of cake!"_

Johei smiled at his Persona's enthusiasm, but went back to his frown. He turned to Daichi.

"What should we do?"

 _Matsuhito Hotel_

 _Same Time_

Mikan changed out of her uniform and went out to the front with a bead of sweat on her forehead. The day had been tiring for her and the other employees, especially the everyday perverts that came to watch them and try to ask them out. It wasn't like they were bad, though, they did have to buy a seat at the buffet to even talk to them.

"Hey, you want to go get something to eat? I heard Shinji's paying!" One of her coworkers asked her.

Mikan smiled and shook her head.

"No thanks, I've got to head home now. Maybe another time."

Her fellow employee stopped and huffed at her.

"Seriously, you gotta lay off sometimes. Have you been sleeping well lately?"

Mikan thought back to the times that she came home exhausted from all the training in the Mirror Dimension and studying until she finished her homework.

"No, I guess I haven't. I'll try to get some more sleep though."

Mikan's friend stopped her.

"Shita, what are you doing?"

Shita looked at Mikan with an annoyed look.

"Something's bothering you; I can already tell it on your face. Tell me what's going on. Now"

Mikan stood there shocked at her friend's attitude but closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Well, there has been something going on…" She started.

Shita nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"What if there was something that only you could do… but you failed it?"

Shita had a confused look on her face.

"Is this about a school assignment?" She asked.

Mikan shook her head.

"No, it's something more important than that. But, what would you do?"

Shita thought for a moment.

"I'd still continue to do it. If I'm the only person who can do something, not doing anything would be throwing in the towel already."

Mikan sighed. She had expected this answer from her friend, but it wasn't the answer she wanted. Shita had no idea what was at stake: People's lives. She couldn't just continue and keep losing to the enemy. If she kept fighting, she might get killed and not accomplish anything. Shita noticed her friend's distress and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Life gives us tough decisions. It's our job to choose the best one."

After that, Shita walked off and left Mikan in the foyer alone. Alone with her thoughts, Mikan mulled over what her friend had just told her.

"… The best choice…"

 _Foreign Transfer Student Dorms; Iselin's Room_

 _Iselin's POV_

Iselin sat at her bedside, staring down on the floor. The room was silent except for the chatter in the hallways. She looked up and saw an empty bed with a photo of Rika Colburne on it. Just looking at the scene was enough to make her cry, but she decided that she would mourn for her friend once justice was carried out. Sighing, she checked her phone. On it, was an app that the website had given her to track the time left for the targets to live.

"One more week…"

She put her phone away and stood up. She stretched her arms, put on a jacket, and left her room. Needing some fresh air, she walked on the road to the mall, deciding it would be a long enough trip until she would be expected to come back. Looking around for any of her dorm mates, she pulled out a box of cigarettes she bought from a back alley vendor and her old lighter. Igniting the end, she inhaled and felt the smoke warm up her lungs.

"That feels so much better…"

She passed by the park and noticed somebody sitting on the bench on their own. The person happened to be a boy with dark hair that she finally recognized. Walking over, she plopped herself next to him.

"So, how many coincidences are there going to be, Kazuhiko Sukima?"

Kazuhiko kept his eyes closed, but for some reason, recognized her.

"No idea. How's school going for you Bjorn-san?"

Iselin shrugged and took another drag on her cigar. She let the smoke out and put it back between her lips. Kazuhiko opened his eyes and made a face at her.

"You smoke?"

Iselin nodded as she took the cigarette out of her mouth.

"It's cold as hell in Svalbard. Everybody does this to keep from freezing. It's also for the nerves."

"Since it's cold as hell, I guess it's hot?"

Iselin chuckled to herself.

"You know what I meant. What are you doing out here?"

Kazuhiko sat back and replied.

"I messed up pretty bad on something. Not sure if I should try again."

"Whoa, you Japanese people are really tense on your schoolwork, huh?"

"No, it's not that. What about you?"

Iselin sighed and fiddled with her lighter.

"Considering what just happened at the building in the City District earlier today, I would have thought you would have known."

Kazuhiko turned to her.

"I see. The victim was your friend?"

Iselin nodded.

"It was all because of her parents. The sons of bitches."

Iselin noticed that she had crushed the cigarette in her mouth with her teeth. Grimacing, she put it out and lit a new one.

"They gave her a call yesterday and she was beating herself up over it. That's why I can never forgive them."

Kazuhiko listened intently to Iselin and cradled his head on his hands.

"I have a friend who was just like you; Lost a friend because of their parents. He wanted to get revenge and had the perfect way to do so, but I was able to stop him before he did something he would regret doing in the future. Now, he's helping people for the better."

Iselin turned and looked at Kazuhiko.

"I just hope that you won't make the same mistake he almost did."

Kazuhiko stood up and stretched.

"Well, I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Bjorn-san."

Kazuhiko started to walk off to the street until he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey" Iselin said.

He turned around and saw her standing up.

"You can call me Bjorn, or even Iselin. The honorifics are a pain in the ass for me anyways."

Kazuhiko smiled and nodded to her.

"Okay then. Have a good night then, Iselin."

After Kazuhiko left, Iselin sat down in the bench with her newly lit cigarette in between her lips.

"Why did I ask him to do that?" She asked herself.

 _Matsuhito Hotel_

 _9:27 PM_

 _Kazuhiko's Room_

Kazuhiko was staring at the ceiling, lying down on his bed. Tyr was floating by the bedside waiting for a response from his user. Seeing no signs that he wasn't going to talk any time soon, Tyr spoke.

" _Kazuhiko, forgive me if I'm intruding, but about Rika Colburne-"_

"I already know what you're trying to say."

Tyr stopped, then continued angrily.

" _Just because you failed before doesn't mean that you can just qui-"_

"We're going back in there tomorrow."

" _Huh?"_

Tyr looked at the boy lying down on the bed.

"I was just talking to Iselin and I just realized something." He continued.

"We made this group from people who suffered from another's death. This group was made not only to save lives in danger of suicide, but to also help those who could suffer from that death. Iselin didn't show it that much, but Rika's death is clearly affecting her. We can't just let something like this happen again, even if it means risking our lives."

Kazuhiko reached for his desk light and yawned as he closed his eyes.

"I'll tell the others tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't even dream of quiting ever again."

Kazuhiko turned onto his side as Tyr looked at him dumbfounded. Smiling, he decided to let the subject rest.

" _And I'm a part of him, huh?"_

Tyr sat down and closed his eyes while Kazuhiko was on his side. Although he kept his eyes closed, his mind was still awake. Truth be told, he probably would have never continued unless he had met Iselin in the park. The talk with her had truly been helpful, but the biggest imoact was th words that had spoke in his mind

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the power to bear the weight of Despair_

 _I present to Thee, The Chariot Arcana_

 **I'm sorry for the late update! Please forgive me! I know that I have no excuse, it's just that tests have been jumping at me out of nowhere! It's like they're waiting right around the corner for me! Anyways, as I said before, I will probably post later than usual. The maximum time that I won't post will be two weeks unless something comes up. Please Like and Review this story and share it with others; This story really means a lot to me and I hope that it can mean something to others as well. But now, here's some of Hugin and Munin's antics.**

 _In the Mirror Dimension_

Daichi: Hugin, Hama!

Hugin: But I can't!

Daichi: What are you talking about? Are you out of SP?

Hugin: No, it's just… this enemy… I cannot attack it!

Daichi:… o… kay then? Munin, Mudo!

Munin: My apologies, Master Daichi, but I cannot attack this either.

Daichi: What is wrong with you guys today? You can't just attack a shadow?

Munin: No, we can take it down, it's just.

Hugin: If we attack it, we would go against our cause.

Daichi: What do you mean?

Hugin: Well, the sink that we recruited…

Munin: This is one of it's friends.

Hugin: We cannot betray the water bearer's trust!

Daichi: Just attack the damn Sleeping Table!


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys, sorry I'm a little later than usual on my posts so I'll just get right to it. Also, I'll be putting the A/N between the chapter itself and the mini-story from now on.**

 **Chapter 18**

 _April 24, 2021; Monday_

 _11:53 AM_

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _Rooftop_

Kazuhiko sat on the bench looking at his phone. Mikan, Johei and Daichi with their Personas were waiting for him to finish skimming.

"Daina Colburne and her husband Samuel… And they're going to be targeted?"

Daichi nodded.

"Yeah, but I have no idea where they are. If we can't find their reflections, we won't be able to prevent their suicide."

Kazuhiko mulled over their profiles. It was strange looking at their portraits and bringing up how they caused the death of their daughter; They didn't seem like abusive parents, so how did this happen? He shook his head trying to stay focused on the current task.

"Wait" Johei said

"If they are being targeted, wouldn't they die the same way the past suicides went and at the same place?"

Johei brought up a good point. If this was a hit from the Bringers of Death, the targets would be sent to the top of the building and jump off with a noose. As far as Kazuhiko knew, Rika's parents were in Svalbard. If their reflections were there, it would be an impossible distance to cover over the course of a day without any transportation in the Mirror Dimension. His thoughts were interrupted by Daichi.

"Actually, you know what I said about Niflheim? The thing is, it connects the worlds reflections to one spot, but only those that are doomed to die appear in it."

The atmosphere began to brighten up for them, until Daichi brought it down again.

"But the distance from death is measured by the tower. Those closer to committing suicide get considerably closer to the top. Although they don't always die at the top; That's only reserved for very special occassions. The rate would probably a floor a day."

It had been difficult enough already to get to a certain point in Niflheim, but when their target was practically running from them made it even harder. Mikan had been staying quiet the ever since the meeting had started, as if she was deep in thought.

"Oh, hey Mika-senpai, you okay?" Johei asked.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing." Mikan replied, but her eyes showed no interest in the conversation.

"Is there something wrong?" Daichi asked.

Mikan hesitated to answer but Kazuhiko decided to do her a favor and change the subject.

"Well, we all are kind of getting back to business. She's probably worrying about our mission."

Mikan gave him a grateful look while Johei looked confused.

"Yeah but we can't have her Ungh!"

Johei grabbed his foot after Kazuhiko stamped on it.

"Dude! What the hell was that for?"

" _Probably for how dense you are"_ Skadi said.

Loki looked confused as well.

" _Wait, why is my partner being abused here? Was it because of OW!"_

Loki held his head after Skadi hit him with her bow.

" _The same goes for you as well."_

" _Hey!"_

"Guys, stop fighting." Kazuhiko said as he turned back to his friends.

"They're going to die in a week, right? That means we won't have a lot of time to waste. Let's get started right after school."

Everybody agreed to meet at the mall later with all their gear and left the rooftop, that is, except for Kazuhiko and Tyr. Tyr looked out at the campus and watched the students either walking around or sitting at a bench with some other friends. He let out a sigh.

" _It must be nice to be young, isn't it?"_

Kazuhiko turned to his persona and answered slowly.

"Y-yeah… Is there something you want to talk about?"

Tyr shook his head.

" _Oh, no. Well, you remember how I said that I was based off the actual Tyr?"_

Kazuhiko nodded his head.

"Yeah, I kinda remember that. What about it?"

Tyr turned back to the campus square.

" _Well, from time to time, I have brief flashes. Like I remember something I should, but I can't get a grasp at it. What was that called? Am-something?"_

"Amnesia"

" _Right. Well, it feels like that. I have a recurring vision of a child. He had short black hair and seemed frail, but I obeyed him as if he were my master. It seems strange, but I really have a feeling that it happened to me before."_

Kazuhiko looked confused as he mulled over his Persona's statement. Suddenly, someone opened the door to the roof.

"Hm? Oh, didn't know you were here."

Kazuhiko turned around to see, yet again, Iselin.

"Oh, hey Iselin. What brings you here?"

Iselin shrugged as she took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and a match. As she lit it, Kazuhiko scrunched his nose.

"Hm? What?" Iselin said as she put out the match, the cigarette in her mouth.

"Is there a place where you don't smoke?" Kazuhiko said.

Iselin scoffed.

"Well, I wouldn't smoke near a fire alarm. That's why I'm up here. What about you?"

"To enjoy the fresh air. Classrooms are getting too stuffy with the weather getting warmer."

"Ah, sorry about that." Iselin said as she put out her cigar.

The two stood near the fence of the roof looking at the students, neither one saying a word until Iselin spoke again.

"Who were you talking about yesterday?"

"Hm?" Kazuhiko turned to her.

"Who did I remind you of?"

Kazuhiko looked back to the courtyard.

"Well, it was my friend Johei. He had a friend who was recently killed the same way Rika was. He thought it was her parents, but it turns out he was wrong."

Iselin nodded but took notice to the last words. Kazuhiko continued.

"He tried to kill them, but I had to stop him and calm him down. Thinking back now, I don't think he really wanted to kill them, but to make them feel remorseful. He just really loved her, but could never tell her until it was too late."

It took Iselin a few moments to realize that tears were running down her face. Quickly, she wiped them off and replied to him.

"Rika was killed by her parents; I know that for sure. How I act though, I'm going to make sure that they pay in full for what they did to her."

Kazuhiko recoiled a little bit. Iselin noticed the darkness in her tone but ignored it.

"They drove their daughter to die and they will pay for her life."

Iselin looked angrily at the students on the ground, as if they were scampering ants.

"There is nothing that I will regret doing to the-"

Kazuhiko placed his hand on her shoulder and immediately, Iselin stopped.

"Are you you sure?"

Iselin stared at Kazuhiko.

"Are you willing to do anything to make them suffer?"

Iselin shrugged off his arm and turned away from him.

"Yes. There is no doubt in my mind. I'll make sure they **suffer the same way she did.** "

In a split second, time seemed to freeze. Then, Kazuhiko saw chains forming on Iselin's arms. Tyr looked just as shocked as Kazuhiko was.

" _S-She was the one. She ordered the suicide of Rika's parents!"_

Time flowed back to normal and Iselin, who didn't feel like talking anymore, said goodbye to Kazuhiko and walked back to the stairs. Kazuhiko and Tyr froze in their spot, not moving for several seconds.

"We need to talk to everybody else."

 _3:26 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

 _(After School)_

 _Iselin's POV_

Iselin had arrived at the small bookstore and waited for 5 minutes. A strange letter in her locker had called her over here to discuss about some unsaid matters; what it was, she had not the slightest clue.

"I swear, if it's that Joe guy asking me out…" She muttered under her breath as she checked her pocket for cigarettes; No dice. Sighing, she rested on the wall with her back and scanned the crowd.

"Pretty empty today. Restaurant lines are pretty short. Ooh, a new branch of Wild Duck Burger, that looks interesting. Hm?"

Her eye caught a few people in front of a cafe talking with each other. One of them was that Kazuhiko guy along with Mikan from Rika's class, a red head, and… was that the guy who asked for her cup size? Iselin immediately felt pissed.

Deciding to check on what they were doing, Iselin walked to a nearby store and stared at the windows with an interested look.

" _Hm, that's looks nice, a swimsuit that makes my ass look ten frickin' times bigger!"_ She thought sarcastically.

The group started to talk until the boy named Kazuhiko stood up and slung a baseball bag over his shoulder. The rest did the same and they walked to the end of the mall together.

" _What? Aren't the batting cages in the other direction?"_ She thought.

She waited until they were just out of range and continued to pursue them. Suddenly, a large crowd appeared out of nowhere and got in her way, blocking her view. She pushed past them to find… her reflection in the large mirror.

Cursing herself, her eye caught something on the ground. She picked it up and realized it was a QR code.

"Huh, did they drop this?"

Thinking that there wasn't anything better to do, she scanned it. Immediately, an app appeared on her phone.

"The Mirror Dimension? The hell's that?" She mumbled to herself.

She turned up and looked at the mirror that she was facing, then back at her phone. She took a deep breath and psyched herself up.

"I must be out of my friggin' mind."

She touched the surface of the glass mirror. It felt solid like it should; Iselin scoffed at herself for being stupid and decided to draw her hand away, but just when she pulled her hand back, ripples showed on the glass.

 _4:10 PM_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim_

 _Kazuhiko and Co. POV_

"Let's go! **Skull Cracker!** "

Tyr charged up and sent his fist down on an unlucky shadow. After it melted into nothingness, everyone continued to wander through the tower floor.

The party encountered several more shadows, but continued without breaking a sweat. They were nearing the 12th floor by now and were nearing towards the designated area. By the 13th floor, they decided to take a break.

"Hey, you got any Mad Bull?" Johei asked.

Kazuhiko tossed him a can from his overflowing bag of items. He really needed to get a new backpack…

Johei chugged on his energy drink while everyone else did the same. Daichi checked the app and made a confused look.

"That's strange… it now says that the reflection's on the 14th floor."

Kazuhiko brought up a confused look of his own.

"The 14th? Wasn't it on the 15th?"

Daichi shrugged and put his phone away.

"Never seen something like that happen. Well, it looks like we've got less work to do."

Everybody nodded and finished their break. Johei crushed his can and threw it into the corner.

" _How disgraceful!"_ Hugin cawed

" _Disrespecting Frey in such a manner? You should repent!"_

"It's in a god-forsaken tower full of blobs on the ground who want to kill us. The can might actually help the décor a little."

A little while later, they reached the stairs which emanated a strong force. Everybody took a step forward with Kazuhiko in the lead.

"You guys ready?"

"Abso-freaking-lutely"

" _Hell yeah."_

"Yes"

" _We are prepared."_

"Let's finish this."

" _For the kitchen table!"_

" _And the water heater!"_

" _Will you shut up?!"_

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes and opened the door. On the opposite side, there was only one reflection, but it wasn't anybody that Kazuhiko expected.

"Wait, isn't that Iselin?"

The reflection turned around and stared blankly at the four. It's gaze seemed to look right past them yet it's voice spoke directly towards them.

" _What are you doing here?"_

A few seconds passed until Johei spoke up.

"What is Iselin's reflection doing here? She's not in danger of committing suicide."

Daichi sighed.

"Kazuhiko told us about this. After she finished talking to him on the roof, he saw chains form on her. The chains of Despair cause you to do things because of your despair. It's regular course of action is suicide, but because Iselin wants revenge…"

" _That's right."_ Iselin's reflection said.

" _I am here to make sure that they suffer; That they die. Now answer me, what are you doing here?"_

"We're here to stop the death of Rika's parents. Get out of our way."

Iselin's reflection stiffened and her eyes seemed to grow darker.

" _You are here to protect those murderers?! They took the life of their own child! My best friend! I am making sure that justice is served!"_

Kazuhiko looked back with a straight face, as if he expected the reflection to say that.

" _If you are really here to prevent more deaths, than you should leave now! Leave or else you'll suffer the consequences!"_

" _She's getting more agitated, the shadows are getting closer."_ Tyr said to his user.

Kazuhiko nodded but made no sound. Iselin's reflection continued.

" _This will be my life's work! Everything I've lived up to will be defined in this!"_

"We're not here to stop you, we just want to bring your revenge down a notch." Kazuhiko said.

"You want to what?" A voice asked behind them.

They all turned around to see Iselin behind them.

"W-what?! How did she get in here?" Johei stuttered.

Daichi shook his head.

"It doesn't matter right now. She's siding with her reflection. On top of that, the shadows are covering our escape."

True to his word, the black blobs surrounded everyone, but were starting to crawl towards Iselin and her reflection.

"This won't be stopped…" Iselin said.

" _You won't even reach them in time…"_ Her reflection followed.

The black slime crawled onto them and soon covered their torso and most of their necks.

"wE WoN't HeSiTaTe To FiNIsH YoU OfF, If IT mEAns tO mAKe ThEM Do ExACtlY wHaT ShE Did!"

The gunk covered their faces and soon, their figures rose to a greater height until it towered even the Personas.

Johei snapped his fingers.

"Oh! I remember now! I asked what your cup size was the other day! Is that why you're so mad?"

" _Cup size? What is that?"_ Hugin asked.

" _Is it the amount of mead that one can put into a mug?"_ Munin asked.

" _I'm going to have to tell you guys later."_ Loki told them.

"Don't you dare." Mikan said threateningly.

 **I'm really sorry about my posting tardiness and the length of this chapter. I'm just a really busy guy, but I'll do my best to upload on time. As for the question regarding Texas, no, I am not a Texan nor am I related to anyone in Texas. I just want to help people as much as I can, be it through donating or writing. Anyways, here's the mini story!**

 _Personal Talk: Protagonists_

Kazuhiko: So you guys are able to summon Personas, huh?"

Minato: Yeah, although we do it separate ways.

Yu: I just enter the TV world and crush a card.

Kazuhiko: Wait, so you crush a playing card?

Yu: No, it's just a floating tarot card that appears when I summon it.

Kazuhiko: Oh, I break chains.

Minako: Whoa, you can do that? But you're so scrawny…

Kazuhiko: Scrawny?! (hunches into a corner) I mean, I know I'm scrawny, but not scrawny enough so that people would notice.

Yu: … So, how about you guys?

Minato: Well, we summon our Personas with these things called evokers

Yu: What's that?

Minako: Well, they're these things that look a lot like guns and we fire them at our head.

Kazuhiko: What?! Why would you do that?!

Minato: Oh, don't worry. They don't hurt us. They just force out our Personas. Apparently, they work with all Persona users.

Yu: Yeah, it felt a bit different using it for the first time; I definitely prefer my card-crushing technique.

Kazuhiko: Really? Hey, can I try it?

Minato: Yeah sure. Just put it to your head and pull the trigger.

Kazuhiko: So like this? Okay, I can do this.

Minako: Wait! Hold on!

*BANG*

Minato: …

Minako: …

Yu: … You think anybody heard that?

Nanako: Hey, Big Bro! I'm ho-… WHAT THE F*** HAPPENED?!

Yu: Ah! Nanako! It's not what it looks like!

Nanako: You killed him!

Minako: I told you not to buy that pistol.

Minato: Well, you never know when you'd need it…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Turning Back to the Light

 _April 24, 2021; Monday_

 _4:45 PM_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim_

 _Floor 14_

" **Maragilao**!"

The unseen form of Iselin and her transformed reflection cast a wall of fire that stopped everyone in their tracks. The light from the flame showed their form in contrast to the dark atmosphere. Iselin and her reflection were hulking figures made of multiple rusted armor parts from many metals that were patched together to form a chestplate, gauntlets, leggings, and boots. On their shoulder blades, Iselin had a balista and her reflection carried a canon. Both had fingers made from palette knives and protected the shadowy, and strangely colorful, essence underneath their armor.

"Holy shit… I seriously pissed her off." Johei said as he stared at them.

Daichi shook his head.

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder how you even got to second year. Her getting angry at us has nothing to do with your perverted questions."

Everyone blocked against the attack, which thankfully, didn't hurt anybody too much. Kazuhiko switched his Personas.

"King Frost! **Bufu**!"

" _Foolish servant! You must request for my services in a more respectful ma-_ "

"Do it or I'm changing you with Slime."

"… _Fair enough"_

Kazuhiko cast a freezing wind that sprouted icicles on Iselin's reflection but did very little damage to it. Mikan tried to follow it up.

"Skadi! Let's get them!"

" _ **Bufula**_ _!"_

The attack was headed straight for Iselin but her reflection quickly ran in front of her, the attack barely flinching it. Daichi cursed.

"It's resistant to ice and somehow recognizes when Iselin's going to be atacked. We're going to have to take down her reflection first before we go for Iselin."

" _This is all you've got? Fine then, you'll make my job even easier!"_

Iselin raised her fingers towards the sky and cast a spell.

" _ **Rakukaja**_ _!"_

A shimmering light flashed above her reflection and it's presence immediately became stronger.

"She just buffed it's defense! It's impossible to take it out for now until it wears off." Daichi yelled to the group.

Iselin's reflection then started it's attack.

" _ **Agilao!**_ " It said while casting a pillar of fire at Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko, who was still using King Frost, was sent onto the ground.

"Ugh!"

"Kaz!"

Johei rushed to his side but was cut off by another fire pillar.

"Gah! Shit that burns!"

Mikan continued casting Bufu spells but they always ended up getting blocked.

" **Bufula**!"

" _Too slow!"_

Mikan gritted her teeth as she pulled her chains again to defend from an oncoming attack.

"Protect me, Skadi!"

Skadi braced for impact and was able to parry a 'Clean Strike' but was knocked back.

" _I won't be able to hold out much longer if you keep using Bufu. Save your energy."_

Mikan nodded and tried shooting through the chinks in the armor, but the arrows ended up doing nothing, even the ones that made their mark.

"What's working right now?" Mikan asked as she fired another arrow and quickly ducked to cover.

"Nothing really. Insta-kills have no effect on her." Daichi said after using Hugin and Munin to do dark and light spells.

" _Truly she is a force not to be reckoned with."_ Hugin said.

" _She's even stronger than that table we met."_ Munin commented.

" _A shame we couldn't recruit it."_

" _We could have used the floating utensils to win us the utensils in Johei's cabinet."_

" _Didn't that Andrew Jackson guy rely on his Kitchen cabinet to make decisions?"_

" _I think so. Maybe we should ask him for help?"_

"The guy's been dead for over a century! Will you please stop talking and focus on the battle?!"

" _Sorry Master Daichi."_ Both of them said.

The reflection got ready for a defense by using 'Attract' on everyone to keep the attack from landing on Iselin. In this time, Iselin initiated another attack.

" _Why are you stopping me? Rika had an entire life ahead of her and she just lost it! I have to do this! I need to do this! **Artist's Palette**!"_

A bright flash appeared from Iselin's hands and blinded everyone, forcing them to close their eyes.

"Munin! I need a **Mudo**!" Daichi shouted to his Persona.

" _Right away! Caw!"_ Munin said as he cast a darkness spell which helped take the stress off the brightness.

Immediately, Daichi noticed Iselin's reflection's hands going towards him and quickly dodged them. Unfortunately, his arm got caught and a large cut had opened.

"AGH!"

Daichi yelled in pain as he went on his knees and clutched his arm.

"Mikan! Heal him!" Kazuhiko said, but Mikan was also knocked down.

Only Kazuhiko and Johei remained. Thinking that he should have another approach at the opponent, Kazuhiko switched back to Tyr for some help.

" _This isn't good. We can't have a clear shot at Iselin, but I'm sure she's weak to ice. Her reflection shouldn't be too different from her so I guess she has Ice Block."_

Kazuhiko nodded as he parried attacks with his sword.

"Ice Block, huh? That's a passive skill if I remember correctly. Activates whenever she gets hit by an ice spell."

Kazuhiko recently learned about these types of skills from Igor who had enabled a new type of trade with him: Skill cards. Iselin started another attack.

" _Just get out of my way! **Artist's palette**!"_

"The same move again? At least we're ready for it! Turn away!" Johei said as he covered his eyes.

Kazuhiko did the same and waited for the bright flash, but what he got instead was a sense that he was being physically drained.

"What? I… I feel kinda tired." Johei gasped.

Daichi hissed at his cut but got back into the fight by using 'Twin Strike'.

"It's a special move of hers. I'm guessing it causes a random effect. An artist always has a colorful palette."

Kazuhiko cursed. He should have known about that, but he was taking too much of his energy dodging and parrying to think. He came to a stop from being too tired.

" _Get ready for your end! **Agilao**!" _ Iselin's reflection shouted as it shot a final jet of flame straight at him.

Kazuhiko looked to the left of him.

Johei was rushing to his side, but wouldn't be able to reach him in time.

He looked to the right.

Daichi and Mikan were already preoccupied and couldn't protect him.

Kazuhiko knew that he wouldn't be able to take another hit.

 _It's already over?_ He said to himself.

He closed his eyes and waited for impact.

Suddenly, Tyr stepped in front of him.

" _ **Fire Absorb**!" _ He yelled as he sucked the flames into his palm.

Kazuhiko blinked, then get back up with a renewed resolve in his eyes. He felt his strength flowing back into him as the flames were dispersed.

" _Feel better now?"_ Tyr asked him.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Hell yeah I am. I've got a plan this time too. Johei! Daichi! Distract them as much as you can! Mikan! Catch!"

"Huh? Okay, man. Loki! Let's do this!"

" _No need to tell me! **Magarula!** " _Loki shouted as he threw two miniature tornadoes at Iselin and her reflection.

Iselin's reflection dodged the tornado and quickly protected Iselin. This time, it took a little more damage, but not a lot.

Mikan turned and caught an item in her hand.

"Huh? A skill card?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Fire it at the reflection. Make sure it sticks."

Mikan, not sure what to do, followed his orders and shot an arrow at the reflection with the card tied to the shaft. Kazuhiko switched back to King Frost.

"Alright! Now try using Bufu on Iselin!" Kazuhiko shattered his chains while Mikan started to protest.

"B-but, I don't have that much energy! It'll just get blocked!"

"Mika-senpai, just trust me on this. King Frost! **Bufula**!"

" _I still think you should at least say please…"_ King Frost grumbled

"O-okay! Come, Skadi!"

Mikan broke her chains and felt the last of her energy disappear.

" _ **Bufu**!" _ Skadi yelled as she cast out the spell from her clawed hands.

The combined ice spells morphed together into an even more intense attack.

"Whoa! That's like the power of a Bufudyne!" Daichi said as he drew back.

The (technically) Bufudyne rushed towards Iselin but she was quickly protected by her reflection.

" _You're really that desperate, aren't you?"_ The reflection said.

" _Well, after this, I won't let you have anymore chances. Huh?"_

Quickly, the reflection dodged the attack and it met the designated target. Iselin immediately crumpled onto the ground in agony.

" _AAAAUUUGH!"_ She yelled as the shadows fell off of her.

The reflection, being connected to Iselin, also crumbled to the ground and left it's true form lying face down. Johei looked impressed.

"Dude! How did it get past her?!"

Kazuhiko smiled.

"Simple. Remember the time I gave you all some skill cards?"

Daichi nodded.

"Yeah. I remember that. What happened, though?"

"Well, I had a couple extras just in case. I tossed one to Mikan who stuck it to the reflection giving it a skill that would guarantee that it would dodge any Ice spells."

Mikan looked shocked.

"You mean that card was-"

"Yup. It was Ice evade. Activates whenever an ice attack is about to hit you."

Johei's jaw hung open.

"Dude… you really have learned the ways of the prankster, haven't you?"

Daichi raised his eyebrow.

"Ways of the prankster?"

"You have shown your powers! Your pranking skills are superior to mine! Please! Accept me as your student Sensei!"

Mikan slapped the back of Johei's head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Johei said while rubbing his head.

"That was for the stupid idea you had of asking a transfer student for her cup size! Actually, that's just a stupid question to ask in general!" Mikan said while slapping the back of his head again.

Skadi glared at Loki.

" _It was all your fault for making this battle even more difficult than it was!"_

" _What?! Why are you blaming me?!"_

" _Because you most likely put that idea into his head you perverted villain."_

" _That was entirely Johei's fault! It's his perverted mind that made her mad!"_

" _So you're saying that you weren't thinking about her cup size?"_

" _Nope! I was mostly thinking what yours was."_

" _YOU WHAT?!"_

*WHAM*

" _We still lack the knowledge of what a cup size is."_ Hugin said.

" _Would somebody please explain it to us?"_ Munin asked.

" _*cough* Once Skadi is well out of range *cough*"_

" _Believe me. I will always be in range…"_ Skadi said threateningly while holding up her bow.

"Guys! Iselin's coming round!" Kazuhiko said as he rushed to her side.

Iselin was kneeling on the ground crying. Her chains were keeping her kneeling down to the floor.

"I… I can't do anything right… I can't even give Rika's life a meaning… Why are you doing this to me?"

Everyone else gathered around Iselin along with the Personas. Johei spoke up first.

"Hey, I know that revenge might be the best or only choice you have, but my friends taught me that it's just yourself not thinking clearly. You don't really want to kill them. Just trust me, you don't."

Iselin shook her head.

"But… their murderers… they murdered my best friend… my only friend…"

"Would Rika want you to do this? She would have wanted you to be happy. Murdering her parents would ruin your life. She wouldn't want that type of blood on her hands." Johei said.

Mikan nodded.

"We all know what it's like to lose someone we care about. We could have made a wrong turn too. But look at us now. We took a step to the future but we haven't forgotten about them. We make our memories of them help us grow stronger. You can't let the past hold you down, you have to embrace it to grow up."

"I won't be able to look her in the eye… I can't even bear myself to see her empty bed next to mine anymore…"

"You're giving yourself too much of a burden." Daichi responded.

"You're being too hard on yourself and keep thinking that whatever you do won't be enough. That way, you'll run yourself ragged and die unhappy and unsatisfied with life. I almost fell into that trap; I'm not falling for it again."

Iselin looked up with tear streaked eyes.

"Then… What should I do?… What can I do now?… I can't even save somebody from dying… I can't even stop you guys… What else can I do?"

Kazuhiko looked into her eyes.

"You can help us. You know what it's like to suffer; So do we. We're not the only ones who are suffering from despair. You can join us and stop people like us from going down the same path. You can protect people you care about. You won't fall again."

Iselin was at a loss for words. She couldn't speak, either because of the dryness of her throat or the sheer awe that she had that she was being supported by other people. She hung her head before replying.

"Yeah… you're right… I can't do anything about Rika now except keep the memory of her still alive. God I feel horrible. I'm going to make sure that nobody is ever going to have to feel like this again. I think I'm finally ready to go back into the light…"

Turning to her reflection on the ground, who had gotten onto her feet, Iselin smiled.

"Hey, let's get this over with. Killing Rika's parents isn't going to solve anything. Now I'm sure about it."

The reflection nodded and disappeared as Iselin struggled to get back on her own feet. Mikan and Johei offered to help, Johei mostly so he could get closer to a hot girl (Mikan smacked him later for that), but Iselin shook her head.

"This is the first step I'm making. I want to do it myself."

She stepped up and struggled against the chains until they cracked and eventually shattered. A shimmering figure appeared behind her and disappeared just as quickly. Then she asked them for help to the exit. This time, Kazuhiko and Mikan helped her (Much to Johei's dismay) .

 _6:37 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

 _Evening_

"Please… have mercy on my wallet…" Johei moaned.

The entire group was sitting at a table in the nearby Wild Duck Burger. They decided to take Iselin there for something to eat and to help her calm down. Apparently, Iselin could eat much more than the average Japanese High Schooler, that is to say, a lot. Kazuhiko shook his head.

"This is what you get when you offered to pay. Besides, I could have easily paid for this with the money we make from killing shadows."

Johei pounded his fist on the table.

"But that's no fair! You get to keep all the money we make from Niflheim!"

Mikan scowled at him.

"That's because he's more responsible than you are and we don't want to take that kind of responsibility. Besides, he only uses that money for the group."

Iselin nodded along.

"Yeah, plus you should stop that. You know throwing a fit isn't very attractive."

Johei's face slightly lit up.

"Oh, so if I were more mature-"

"I still wouldn't consider you attractive."

"Oh come on!"

Johei sat down in his seat and sighed, Loki trying hi hardest not to laugh.

" _And he strikes out folks! Looks like Shiroka's sitting bench for the rest of the season!"_ Loki said with an image of Masataka Itsumi on his monitor.

Skadi snapped at him.

" _And you should be more respectful to your partner. It's not like you're going to be leaving him anytime soon."_

" _I can't help it if my user's a total failure at life."_

"Hey!"

Iselin stopped eating a burger for a moment.

"Uh, hey! What are these shadow things that you guys keep fighting anyways?"

Daichi replied after finishing his drink.

"They're technically manifestations of the true emotions of people. They tend to act independently but they gather around someone who is being affected by the chains of despair."

"Huh." Iselin said as she went back to her burger.

"And what exactly are theses chains of despair?"

"They chain you to your next actions that you carry out. You can only overcome them by breaking your chains and summoning the power of your Persona." Daichi said.

Iselin put her burger wrapper down and rubbed her temples.

"Geez, this is a lot to take in. I don't think I'll even have enough space in my head to remember the notes in History."

Mikan patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. For now, let's just get you back home."

Right after she said that, Mikan's phone buzzed and she picked it up.

"Oh, looks like I've got to go home right now. One of you guys take Iselin home, alright?"

"Ooh! Does that mean that I get to-"

"Except for Johei."

"Damnit!"

 _8:32 PM_

 _Foreign Transfer Student Dorms; Front_

"Okay, I think I'll be able to take myself to my room from here."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Okay then. Just focus on getting some rest for now." Kazuhiko said as he began to see her inside the dorms.

Iselin hesitated for a moment.

"I just have one last question, though." She said.

"Did you know what I did when you met me at the park?"

Kazuhiko paused then shook his head.

"No, I really had no idea. I found out when you were talking to me on the rooftop. It was like you had this new air around you; Like you weren't the same person anymore."

Iselin listened to him and her spirit sank. Kazuhiko quickly noticed this and tried to mend the situation.

"Ah! Um, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been too blunt about it."

"Oh no. It's okay, really." Iselin said while turning away from him.

"It's just that… I want to know what I was like; How I acted that made me do terrible things. You know what? I really owe you guys!"

Iselin turned to face him with a hyped look on her face. Kazuhiko shrank back a bit at her eccentricity.

"Oh, you really don't have to. The only thing that would make us feel better is for you to gather yourself and-"

"Don't talk me out of it! One of the only things I'm good at is art! I'm going to make a piece for each of you! It'll be the best painting you have ever seen! It'll support you in your times of sadness and bring joy back into your life! Nothing's gonna stop me now!"

Iselin finished and nearly teleported into the dorms leaving a very stunned Kazuhiko on the doorstep.

" _Well, she's back to normal… I hope."_ Tyr said from behind Kazuhiko.

"I just hope she doesn't overwork herself…" Kazuhiko said as he chuckled and walked back to the hotel.

 _Foreign Exchange Student Dorms; Iselin's Room_

"O-kay! Let's get started!" Iselin said to herself as she pulled out an empty canvas, a palette, and a paintbrush.

She squeezed out the colors onto her palette and set up her stand. The moment of truth was at hand. She picked up her paintbrush…

aaaaaand…

 _10 minutes later_

"Why can't I think of anything?!" Iselin yelled into her pillow.

Earlier, she had just gotten out her art tools and was suddenly stopped due to artist's block. What a pitiful way to start a painting.

She rolled onto her back and kicked her feet to get the blood pumping to her head; Nothing happened.

Not a single idea came into her head, not even a color.

Iselin turned her head to the other side of the room, hoping to look for something that would spark her creativity. Her eyes zeroed in on something stuck under Rika's pillow. She got up and walked over to it.

"What's this?" She asked herself.

Iselin brought up the pillow to pull out a picture frame. The picture being held in it showed two girls wrapping an arm over each other's shoulders and smiling like madwomen while standing on a long bridge. Behind them, was a gorgeous sunset over the horizon. But it wasn't the view that took Iselin's attention, it was the two girls.

"I… I can't believe she still had this…" She said.

The memories started to flood back into her head, happy ones and sad ones alike, they all were treasured memories of their time together.

"The sunset crossing bridge. Man, we took that picture years ago! Boy did that cameraman suck, though…"

In a split second, Iselin's head came up with an idea for her art project. Rushing hurriedly to her empty canvas, she picked up her palette and paintbrush and began to mix colors together to form the crisp and fading light of the sunset. But her excitement made her hands fidget so she pulled out a cigarette and lit the end to calm her down.

"Alright. So here's the sun right here… No, that's a little too dark… Maybe a little violet would help… onto the bridge… Oh, should have made an outline for it first…"

" _Maybe you should try adding a slight dark orange to emphasize the sun in the painting."_

"Yeah! Good idea! I should probably do tha-" Iselin stopped herself.

She slowly turned around and saw a tall figure in Viking armor, a dark blue blindfold, long golden hair, and two light axes.

" _So, what else should you try?"_

Iselin stared at the cigarette, trying to discern if it really was a roll of weed.

 _April 25, 2021; Tuesday_

 _Kyuto High; School Gates_

 _7:10 AM_

 _Morning_

Kazuhiko was walking up to the front gates with Tyr by his side.

" _Do you think she's well enough to be back at school?"_ Tyr asked him.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Beats me. Right now, our current situation is to stop the Colburne's from committing suicide. Luckily, after saving Iselin, we extended the period to the beginning of Golden Week, but we won't get lucky again."

Iselin ran up to Kazuhiko.

"OkaylookIwantyourhonestopinionAremyeyesredDoIlookreallytiredDoesmybreathsmellbad?"

Kazuhiko withdrew from Iselin's sudden questions.

"Ah! Geez! Don't sneak up on me like that! Whoa, did you get enough sleep last night?"

Iselin's eyes were barely seen as her eyelids threatened to permanently keep them closed. Her hair was slightly messed up and her glasses were barely hanging onto the tip of her nose. She ignored Kazuhiko's comment and asked again.

"Please. I've been hallucinating about a giant viking lady in my room. Right now, I'm hallucinating about another robot -like thing behind you. Please tell me I'm just high off a weed."

Kazuhiko wasn't paying attention to her, but instead was paying attention to the shimmering figure behind her.

" _Oh, hello there."_ The figure waved to Kazuhiko.

"Wow. Your Persona looks badass."

Iselin sighed.

"I'm guessing I'm stuck with her, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much. What's her name?"

The Persona bowed to them.

"My name is Hildr; A valkyrie among Odin's court, chooser of the slain for Ragnarok, reviver of the dead."

Kazuhiko whistled approvingly.

"And she's kinda respectful too."

"Well, I'm still in a bad position."

" At least things could be worse."

"How so?"

"You could have ended up like Johei over there."

Iselin turned to see Loki pulling up the skirt of a student showing her undergarments to Johei. The girl pushed down her skirt and turned menacingly to Johei who was right behind her.

*SMACK*

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

 **So, I'm back! Hope you guys liked this chapter; RosyMiranto18 actually suggested this segment and I await all of your opinions or things you want to see. Just send it to me via PM and I'll get back to you about it. Iselin's finally in the gang! Boy her segment took a bit too long to make but, you know what? It's worth it. Also, I'm featuring Iselin in the next interview on the aftershow, so place in your questions in the next 2 week period! I'll see you guys later.**

 _Professor Loki's Lesson_

" _Good morning class! Please, take your seats. We have a lot to go over today. Onto our History lesson: Women's Lingerie."_

" _During the times of early history, mankind has worshiped the undergarments of women."_

" _Men became so infatuated with them, they even created factories just to make women's lingerie. Company include the world famous Victoria's Secret."_

" _But such luxuries came at a price. Imbeciles of men believed in decency and thought that such resources should not be wasted on undergarments."_

" _And so started the Great Panty War of 1979. Eventually, men of the pro-panties side won the battle and today, we all are free to enjoy watching women in such beautiful accessories."_

" _Your homework for tonight is to go on a panty raid through any of your fellow High school girls drawers and bring me at least 3 pairs each; most preferably from the hot girls with the large breasts and bosoms. Any questions?"_

The class consisted of Kazuhiko, Johei, Daichi, Hugin, Munin, and Tyr.

" _I still don't understand what you mean by cup sizes"_ Hugin said.

" _Me neither."_ Munin cawed.

"Trust me, you guys don't need to know." Daichi told them.

"Why are we even here? It's a Sunday." Kazuhiko asked.

"I am definitely raiding Mikan and Iselin's drawers tonight." Johei said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Mikan and Iselin shouted from outside the classroom.

"HOLY SHIT RUN!" Johei said as he jumped out the window with everybody close behind.

" _Ah, to be young and capture the panties of women."_ Loki said to himself.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around.

" _What… did you… tell them… to do?"_ Skadi said through gritted teeth.

" _I may have been born yesterday but you're not getting into Iselin's drawer."_ Hildr said her glare feeling intense even with the blindfold.

" _Oh… GUYS WAIT FOR ME!"_ Loki said as he dashed out the window after everybody else.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Social Break

 _April 25, 2021; Tuesday_

 _3:45 PM_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim_

 _Floor 17_

"Here goes nothing! Hildr!"

" _ **Maragi**!"_

A blast of fire magic finished of the 'Possessed Scarecrow' and clearing the way for the next flight of stairs. Iselin wiped some sweat off her brow and let out a sigh.

"Phew! I'm beat." She said as she sheathed her stiletto.

Kazuhiko checked his watch and concluded that they had done enough for the day.

"We'll come back tomorrow to keep pushing through the floors. Seems like they'll stay on the 20th floor for a while."

While he pulled out his phone to find out where the nearest safe-room was, Johei walked past him and talked to Iselin.

"So, how's it feel to use a Persona for the first time?" He asked.

Iselin finished her mineral water and put the bottle in her pack.

"Kinda tiring. Whenever I use a spell, I feel a little more fatigued. I could really go for a nap when I get back to the dorms."

"Want me to massage your shoulders?"

*SHING*

"Hands off pal. Unless you want the tip of your nose cut off."

"Eh, worth a try." Johei said as he walked to Mikan.

"So, what about you?"

" _You touch her, you die."_ Skadi said to him while aiming her bow at his head.

" _You really need to work on your flirting skills."_ Loki said to him.

"What are you talking about? You said that women like forward men. How forward can you get?"

" _Allow me to demonstrate. Hey Hildr, you wanna go grab a bite after this?"_

" _Loki, we can't eat food."_

" _See? I didn't get rejected that time."_

" _And, even if we could, no way in Niflheim would I go with you."_

"… _Hey Skad-"_

" _No."_

" _Oh come on!"_

Kazuhiko walked into the middle of the group.

"Alright, there's a safe-room around the corner. Let's go there and get out of the Mirror Dimension."

 _Nuzoko Shopping District; Cafe_

"I'll take a séduire latte to-go, please." Kazuhiko said to the barrista.

"Coming right up."

The barrista went to the kitchens to fetch the drink while Kazuhiko got his wallet out.

" _May I ask why you are getting this drink at this time?"_ Tyr asked.

"It's because it'll help bring my charm up. I'm going to need some if I'm going to build popularity… Why did I say that?"

Tyr shrugged.

" _You seem to be doing that more often. You always do that whenever you're in front of a restaurant, deciding to make lunch, or opening up the fridge in your room."_

"Huh, maybe I'm actually an avatar in a video game?"

The two looked at each other before laughing.

"Nah!" They both said at the same time.

 _Somewhere in the real world._

Dangstaboy: Just you wait Kazuhiko… Just you wait…

 _Back to the story_

The barrista came back with the latte in his hand.

"That'll be ¥550 please."

Kazuhiko took the yen bills out of his wallet and placed a ¥100 bill in the tips jar.

"I feel like my kindness has gone up." Kazuhiko said to himself, trying to hold back his laughter.

"Gee, thanks!"

Kazuhiko walked out and sipped his drink. A person walking by him caught his eye.

"Hm? Oh, Mr. Seijimura! It's good to see you!"

The old man was walking by with a bag of groceries in his hand.

"Well, well if it isn't Kazuhiko! What can I do for you today?"

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Oh, nothing really. Do you need a hand with those groceries?"

"Oh no. I'm fine. I could use some company on my walk back, though."

"Consider it done." Kazuhiko said as he finished his latte and walked with the wizened janitor out of the shopping district.

 _Borantia Homes; Senior Citizens Residential Area_

 _4:42 PM_

"So how are your academics going? Are you doing well?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, my grades are the top ten in the class. I'm still studying, regardless, though."

Mr. Seijimura chuckled.

"Good! You're quite the honor student aren't you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say honor student, but I do pretty well in class. How's the janitorial business?"

Mr. Seijimura smiled lightly.

"Ah, well, it's not really good for paying, but I've got retirement money for that stuff. Besides, the real joy is to keep seeing that school every day."

The janitor stopped and leaned back.

"Hold on, son. *cough* I gotta rest a little bit."

After recovering from a coughing fit, Mr. Seijimura straightened his back again.

"Well, it's nice to know that you're putting your education first, but you can't just let life slip right past you! Why, when I was your age, I lived life to the fullest! Can't say it was worth it when I had to go to community college, but it sure was an experience. Say, have you done anything exciting this year?"

Kazuhkko cringed.

 _Well, aside from saving people from committing suicide and fighting monsters with giant beings called Personas…_

"Well, I went to a karaoke bar with a couple friends before"

Mr. Seijimura nodded.

"Ah, the classic karaoke bar. Wasn't too into karaoke myself, but when you sing with friends, that's when the magic happens. But I'm talking about things you can do now that you're a teenager! Going to the beach! A road-trip! Not saying that karaoke isn't a bad thing, but it's a start."

They reached the old man's house and Kazuhiko helped him inside.

"Well, it's been nice talking to you, Kazuhiko! I'll see you back in school!"

Kazuhiko waved.

"Alright, I'll see you back at school Mr. Seijimura."

He was about to close the door when the old man stopped and turned back to him.

"And don't forget my advice! Get out more! Do something that you'll never be able to do later in life!"

Kazuhiko nodded and walked out the driveway back onto the street as he made his way home.

" _It seems like Mr. Seijimura really has been everywhere, hasn't he?"_

"Yeah, it's like he's trying to get me to be a more social person. Strange, almost like he's seen what it's been like to never be social… I'll have to talk to him about that later."

Suddenly, a card appeared in front of him again. This time, however, it just spun and disappeared.

"That's weird. How come there was no voice? Oh well, at least I didn't freeze in time."

Kazuhiko looked up to the sky and saw that it was already nighttime.

"Really?" He groaned to himself as he jogged back to the hotel.

" _You just had to jinx it."_ Tyr said.

 _8:57 PM_

 _(Nighttime)_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

*bzzt* *bzzt*

Kazuhiko pulled out his phone and turned it on.

"Huh, Johei's texting me for some reason. Wonder what he wants."

 _Messaging_

Johei: Hey! What should we do during Golden Week?

Kazuhiko: Is this the best time right now?

Johei: Well we gotta have plans sometime right?

Kazuhiko: What do you have in mind?

Johei: Well, there's a school event going on.

Johei: It's a school trip to Tokyo for a week! Not like one of those study trips, an actual vacation for the students!

Kazuhiko: They said they'll only give tickets to students that have the top ten scores of all the applicants for each grade and gender…

Johei: Wait, what?

Johei: Dude! I gotta study then! Help me out!

Kazuhiko: You're going to study for a chance to go to Tokyo?

Johei: Well…

Johei: I'm very interested in it's culture.

Kazuhiko: You just want to hit on the girls there, don't you?

Johei: Maybe

Johei: Come on man! I really need help! We can even invite everyone else after we stop the Colburnes' deaths!

Johei: Think of it as a post celebration!

Kazuhiko: Okay, tell everyone else. How about we start tutoring today?

Johei: Great! Daichi's out looking for places he can crash at besides my apartment so I can't ask him for help.

Johei: See you then!

Kazuhiko sighed as he closed his book that he was reading.

" _I'm guessing that we're going to Johei's now?"_ Tyr asked Kazuhiko.

"Afraid so. Well, I could use a little more socializing; There's that one Persona that I want to get from the magician's arcana so I guess helping Johei out won't be too bad."

 _Johei's Apartment_

 _9:30 PM_

"Ah, okay, now I get it!"

"See? It's pretty simple that way."

Kazuhiko sat back and admired his handiwork as he finished teaching Johei.

"Great! Math's gonna be no problem for me now! Just need to study History for a little bit and I'll be golden for that exam!" Johei exclaimed.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, well let's take a quick break for now."

Johei nodded and went into the kitchen. He tossed a bag of chip at Kazuhiko and walked back to the couch. Opening a bag, he started munching on them.

"Man, no flavor beats the classic barbecue." Johei said.

"Actually, I think sour cream and onion is the best." Kazuhiko said, chuckling while opening his bag.

The statement caused a full blown debate over which flavor was superior to the other. It wasn't just a petty squabble, but it was a snip from their childhood.

"Dude, remember when we first talked about this?" Johei said after laughing.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, we argued for the entire lunch period. Everyone thought we were crazy. Those were good times."

Johei nodded as he threw his bag into the wastebasket near him.

"Heh, you know, there are still some people that are from that old school that still remember you."

Kazuhiko shuddered but Johei put up his hands.

"Don't worry, they don't go to Kyuto. But, their really sorry for what they did to you. I mean, they were still just kids at the time and what happened was mostly because of what their parents told them."

Johei sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees.

"You know, they make me think of what people are like in the Mirror Dimension; they only did that stuff to you because of their parents, almost like how people are influenced by those Chains of Despair. It's like they have a choice, but don't at the same time."

Kazuhiko crossed his legs and his arms.

"What does it feel like? To be in those chains?"

Johei sighed.

"I can't really explain it that well. It's like… being given a choice where one of them is too good to refuse at the time. But later, the other choice seems like the more reasonable one. It's like how your parents tell you to not do something and you do it, but you regret doing it later on. It's just really complex."

Johei sat back up and leaned on the couch.

"But, back to the point. The thing is, those kids were so heavily influenced by their parents, they did things that they couldn't imagine doing now. I was one of the exceptions because I had no parents. But if I did pick on you, man I'd definitely feel sorry about what I did."

The clock rang and Johei looked at it.

"Oh, shit man. It's already 10. Sorry for having you over for so long. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kazuhiko nodded and gathered his belongings.

"Okay, see you in class."

After Kazuhiko left, Loki floated back into the room.

" _So, I'm guessing your study session is over?"_

Johei nodded and packed his books.

"Oh, crap! I forgot to make dinner! I wonder if takeout still delivers at this time."

Johei walked to his phone and picked it up.

"Hello? Hi, I'd like to order two teriyaki bowls delivery please… Uh, okay… Alright, I'll have my money ready by then."

He hung up and went back to talking to Loki.

" _How did you guys meet anyway? You and Kaz."_

Johei got his wallet and fished out some bills.

"Well, he was shunned as a kid, you know that much already. There was this one time when he was getting ganged up by a couple of other kids. That's when I decided to step in and help him out. We were friends ever since then."

" _Well, that seems anti-climactic. Did you ever know him before that?"_

Johei paused.

"Well, yeah. When he came into class, his parents had already died in a car crash. Everyone started calling him a devil child because of his mom's last words. It was all crap, really."

After getting the sufficient amount of yen bills, Johei walked back to the couch.

"What I first thought of him was that he was pretty scrawny, and that he would most likely get picked on a lot. I had no interest to help him though. I was mostly afraid that he would ruin my image."

Loki frowned at this.

" _Really? That's just cruel. That and the fact the you had a good image then is kind of trivial."_

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. But I'm serious about not wanting to get involved. I was an orphan then as well. In that class, I was already made fun of a lot because I didn't have any parents. If I became friends with Kaz, I thought that I would be made fun of even more. But when I saw him getting beat by other kids, I saw how we were really alike. We both lost our parents, we both were hated by the other students, it was like we were supposed to meet. Not in a gay way." Johei quickly said.

Loki sighed.

" _Aw, you're no fun."_

"So, I thought that enough was enough. I defended him, and we became friends."

Loki floated in space for a moment until he spoke.

" _You know what? It kind of reminds me of me and Thor. We were both raised as brothers, but we weren't related in any way. No matter what I did, he always stopped me and would drag me back home, even when I did unforgivable things, he believed in me. At first, I thought he was being crazy, but it took such a long time after my death to realize that I felt the same way about him too. I felt a brotherly connection to him, but I could never fulfill because it was too late."_

Johei looked at his Persona with a look of shock. Then he stood up and walked to him.

"I never really known you for a long time, but now that you told me this, I actually feel really sorry for how I treated you. You know what? How about we start over, huh? Let's just put our disagreements in the past. I'll treat you with some more respect, and you treat me with some respect in return?"

Loki looked at the outstretched hand, took a few moments of consideration, then took it.

" _Deal. Although, there will always be the occasional jokes between us, right? I just can't live without that."_

Johei chuckled.

"Alright, then. Can't say that I don't enjoy busting your chops once in a while either."

The doorbell rang and Johei opened it.

"Oh, hey! How much do I you again? Oh, right. Here you go. Thanks. Have a good night."

Johei brought the takeout to the table and opened up his box. He looked at the other side of the table and remembered that his roommate still wasn't home.

"Huh, that's strange. He usually doesn't arrive home this late. I wonder what he's doing…"

 _10:43 PM_

 _School Dorms_

"Okay, so my room is where?" Daichi asked.

"Right down the hall. It'll be on your right." The clerk said.

"I see. Thank you. Have a good night."

Daichi walked down the hall and unlocked his door. He felt really stupid for not considering the dorms first.

"Man, that was stupid. Why did I have to think that I'd have to pay for boarding at a motel?"

He tossed his backpack on the bed and took a quick look around. The room was in livable conditions, to say the least. A little more spacious than Johei's room but lower quality. Oh well, at least he wouldn't have to deal with Loki anymore.

" _Master Daichi, must we leave our post?"_ Hugin asked.

" _We were almost done liberating the dental floss from his clever prison."_ Munin said.

"Dental floss?" Daichi asked.

 _Meanwhile, at Johei's apartment._

"I am going to kill those crows when they get home!" Johei yelled.

 _Back in Daichi's new room_

"Well, I'll just apologize to him when I see him tomorrow. Oh yeah, I should probably tell him."

Daichi quickly sent a text and put his phone away. After doing so, he lied on his bed for a little while. The mattress felt a little springy, but it was better than sleeping on the floor with a futon. Honestly, the reason why Daichi's dorm room was a little run down was because he chose a single dorm room. He wouldn't have to deal with roommates in the later future.

He felt his phone buzz and picked it up.

 _Messaging_

Johei: What?! Your living in the dorms now?

Daichi: Yeah. Sorry if I didn't tell you earlier. Did you just order dinner or something?

Johei: Well, yeah I just did. But that's not why I'm mad.

Daichi: Is it because of the dental floss, then?

Johei: I'm kinda pissed about that, but it's not what I'm talking about.

Johei: It's that you live near girls! Iselin included!

Daichi: So?

Loki: "So", he says.

Daichi: Wait, what are you doing here Loki?

Johei: He can text into my phone via computer screen. Still not sure how it works.

Johei: Back to the point. Do you realize that you live in babe heaven right now?!

Daichi: The dorms are separated by gender. It's not like she's right next door to me.

Johei: Well, I guess that is true…

Johei: Never mind then. I'll see you tomorrow.

Daichi: Seeya

Daichi put his phone back on his nightstand. He laid in his bed for a little longer until he heard the growling of his stomach.

"Oh yeah, I haven't eaten anything since lunch. Maybe I should get something to eat too."

Daichi, wanting some peace and quiet, ordered Hugin and Munin to stay in the room and not do anything to it while he went out and bought some food.

" _Yes Master Daichi!"_

" _We shall keep watch here!"_

" _Do you want us to keep security of the property as well?"_

"No, just stay in the room. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He opened his door and locked his room. Then, he walked back down the hall until he heard someone calling him.

"What are you doing here, feather brain?"

Daichi turned around and saw Iselin in the hallway.

"Oh, I just moved into the dorms today. I was going out to get some food."

Iselin looked suspiscious.

"Uh, just out of curiosity, what is your room number?"

Daichi stopped and checked his key.

"Um, it's 2074. Why do you ask?"

Iselin shook her head.

"How many coincidences are there going to be?"

She brought her key out of her pocket and showed him the tag.

"Wait, 2076? You live right next to me? But don't they separate the genders"

Iselin sighed.

"You live right next to the foreign exchange student dorms; They don't separate genders except in different rooms. I just hope that your crows don't bother me when I'm working." She said as she pocketed her key.

Daichi did the same as well.

"Alright then, I guess we're stuck like this. So you tomorrow then."

Iselin went back into her room without another word and Daichi walked off. Then, a wicked idea came up into his head.

 _Messaging_

Daichi: Oh, just found out Iselin lives in the room right next to me.

Johei: WHAT?!

Johei: I'll give you all of my money, my apartment, and meals for the next year if you let me have that room for a week!

Loki: Just a week? Believe me, you'll need that room for a lot longer if you want to pick up Iselin.

Johei: Touché, Loki, touché.

Daichi put his phone back in his pocket and walked into a restaurant that was nearby.

 **And so, we're back! Special shout-out to my new follower ShioAtemu! Now, down to business. I started updating once every 2 weeks because I wanted to work on my HOTD fanfic but it turns out that it's not doing so good and I'm running out of ideas, so I decided to do this entirely for good until I finish it. Maybe I'll just quit my HOTD fanfic if it doesn't work out anymore. For questions regarding other cultures, I never really known a lot of cultural foods so I'll just go out on a limb. Backstories, I can do much better, but in terms of culture, I have little to no experience. Anyways, you guys submitted your questions for Iselin, so here she is!**

 _The After Show: Starring Iselin Bjorn_

Dangstaboy: Aaand we are back everybody!

 _Entire set looks better, actual studio audience, Signs of Love playing in the Background_

Dangstaboy: Yes! We finally got an upgrade! Everything came out of my personal wallet! Now we can finally spice things up! Please welcome our new guest Iselin Bjorn and her Persona Hildr!

*CRASH*

Iselin: Huh, so Daichi's warning about this place was real… I could have sworn I just went to sleep a while ago…

Hildr: Maybe this is just a recurring dream?

Iselin: I don't know… something seems fishy about this place…

Dangstaboy: What the heck?! Why would you just break through the wall?! I just got this place renovated!

Iselin: Oh, you're the interviewer right? I guess that means this is actually happening. Let's get this over with then.

 _Sits in a chair_

Dangstaboy: My poor wallet… I payed it with this weeks paycheck too…

Iselin: Hey, are you going to start yet?

Dangstaboy: Fine, have no consolation for my income! First question: What is your favorite dish?

Iselin: Well, lutefisk is pretty good, it's got a nice finish to it, but I really love Cardamom Bun Pudding. I don't really live up to a lot of girlish stereotypes except for the sweets stereotype…

Hildr: You really need to work on your diet. It's a wonder you're still in good shape.

Iselin: Thank you?

Dangstaboy: Ok, next: Why does Rika call you "Izzy"?

Iselin: Well, Issy didn't have the nice ring to it, and she thought the same thing too.

Dangstaboy: Yeah, this is also my question too in a sense. I used to know this person that I called Izzy all the time that had an Is as the first two letters.

Dangstaboy: Moving on, to question three: What do you think about the Personas being of Nordic deities?

Iselin: I have to say, it's kinda surprising to me. I mean, it's kinda cool that they're all gods and other beings. The fact that they claim to have existed before is a bit confusing, since I'm an atheist, but I can deal with it. Although, if there are any tests on Nordic mythology, I've got it down!

Hildr: I am not telling you anything so you can cheat on tests.

Iselin: Just a little bit? Please?

Hildr: No.

Iselin: Oh well, worth a try.

Dangstaboy: Question 4 from RosyMiranto: I used to see you as cold, stoic and apathetic but will do anything to protect your friends. How would you feel if you were like that?

Iselin: Well, I think I would go a little nuts if I was serious all the time, but I can tell you that I can be kinda cold at times.

Hildr: I use fire spells.

Iselin: Touché at that, but I actually put on that facade in front of perverts. *cough* Johei *cough* *cough*. As for going crazy on enemies for my friends, well let's just wait and see what happens.

Dangstaboy: Question 5: What if your parents actually died in a coal mining accident instead of you on the verge of being disowned?

Iselin: I never really knew my parents all that well. Right now, if they died in a mining accident, I'd feel sorry for them, but not enough to actually miss them.

Dangstaboy: That's cold.

Hildr: Still using fire spells here.

Dangstaboy: Next: How did you meet Rika?

Iselin: Well, we met in middle school around 8th grade. She had just changed schools and when she first saw me, she thought I was just some delinquent. We accepted each other's existence for a few weeks, but then I got into a fight with my parents in front of the school. I ended up running and sitting on a stump in the woods crying my eyes out. She later found me and apologized for having criticized me. We became friends after that, although she still thought I was kind of a delinquent.

Dangstaboy: Jeez, there are a lot of questions here. Next question: When and where did the photo of you and Rika take place?

Iselin: Well, the picture was taken in our 9th grade year. We were on a class trip since I was able to get my grades high enough. We went to America for a cultural exchange, so I'm kinda used to being transferred every now and then. The picture was in San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge, funny though since it doesn't look like it's made of gold.

Dangstaboy: Rika's name is translated to 'Eternal Ruler' in Nordic, 'Honorable Ruler' in German, and 'Scent of Home' in Japanese. Isn't this kind of ironic since she got killed in her first appearance?

Iselin: Huh, you know what? I never really thought of that. That is pretty ironic, although her parents did want her to have a high status of power, so I guess that was their reasoning behind her name.

Dangstaboy: Next: Your name has 2 meanings; First, it is a German pet form of names beginning with 'Ise-' (Iron). Second, it is a Norwegian variant of Irish 'Aisling' (Dream, Vision). Your last name means bear. What do you think about this?

Iselin: Whoa, that actually sounds pretty bad-ass! Iron, huh? Maybe that's cause I've got such a 'steely' motivation?

Dangstaboy: Please… don't do that… puns are my thing…

Iselin: Oh, also the dream or vision part, it sounds neat! As for the bear definition in my last name, I think it inda suit me a bit, especially after sleeping. I am not a morning person.

Dangstaboy: Aren't we all? Next question: For Hildr, Why are your eyes blindfolded?

Hildr: Well, it's kind of a rendition of mythology. See, when my gift of reviving the dead was used in many battles, along with a battle between my own kin. Not wanting to favor one side or the other, I blindfolded myself so that I would revive members from both parties. It's also a part of Iselin too. She wants to help people, even those at oppositions so she does her best to support both sides while trying to calm them down.

Dangstaboy: That… that actually kind of makes sense. Well, next one: I was completely surprised at your appearance, and I also mistook you for Brynhildr who is also a (former) Valkyrie. Are you sure you are Hildr, not Brynhildr?

Hildr: Well, yes. I am quite sure I am Hildr. For one, my speech bar says my name is Hildr.

Dangstaboy: Wait, how did you see that?

Hildr: And second, I kind of proved it in my last question where I explained about my blindfold.

Dangstaboy: Still wondering how you saw the speech bar… Never mind. Next question: What do you think of Brynhildr?

Hildr: You mean Bryn? Well, we were both part of the Valkyrie corps and we got to know each other well enough, but she ended up taking more of the spotlight, not like I was jealous, I always preferred to be in the background.

Dangstaboy: Now for the next one: Now that you know Johei is the one who asked you for your cup size, here's a tantou if you want. If you know what is it for, you know what are you going to do at Jouhei with it, isn't it? ;)

Iselin: Oh, I know enough Japanese culture to know about this thing… hehehehe…

Dangstaboy: Wait, how are you going to trick Johei into committing Seppuku?

Iselin: … I'm not sure…

Hildr: You should really think things out more often.

Dangstaboy: Since when were you into art? Not to be rude, but I didn't expect you to be that type of person.

Iselin: Well, art was one of the only things that my parents thought I was better than my siblings at. I had a natural talent for it, but they told me that it won't get me very far in life. I still did it against their will and I just developed a natural liking to it; It just feels like a whole new world to create at the tips of your fingers.

Dangstaboy: Wow… that sounds really deep…

Iselin: I currently am creating a piece that shows the world without a Johei existing, for my own amusement.

Dangstaboy: Wait, what?! Jeez, you really hate Johei don't you? Then again, if Johei never existed, Kaz wouldn't be alive.

Iselin:… I may have to alter a few things then…

Dangstaboy: Okay, not going to ask about that any further, next question: The Review Therapist returns! How are you holding up Iselin? You kinda went through a bit these last few cha-I mean days, so like Mikan and Daichi before you, I want to see if you're doing alright.

Iselin: I'm doing pretty good. Much better than I have been for quite some time, actually. Rika's death is kind of weighing me down, but I know that I can bring her spirit to rest now. First things first, though, I gotta stop that suicide.

Dangstaboy: Right you are. Alright, last question; Ooh, this one's something I'm actually curious about: . For Iselin, what do you think of Daichi? And I mean Daichi alone. *whistles innocently*

Iselin: W-wha-?! What's that about?! Y-you actually think I like that feather brain?!

 _Blushes nervously_

Dangstaboy: Well, should we leave it to the blush to decide?

Hildr: The mind is willing but the flesh is weak.

Iselin: What?! Why are you agreeing with him? It's not like I'm interested in him!

Hildr: You were contemplating on whose portrait of the team you should make. Your rather spending a lot of time on Daichi's in particular.

Iselin: W-well, that's because I'm trying to get the fine details!

Hildr: You already finished it. You haven't touched it in days.

Iselin: Ah! W-well, You know how Personas are supposed to be like their users, right? If I really like Daichi, doesn't that mean the you like Hugin and Munin?!

Hildr: …

Dangstaboy: Now that you mention it… Hildr, do you have anything to say on this matter?

Hildr: …

Dangstaboy: No denial?

*SHING*

 _(pulls out ax on me)_

Dangstaboy: Okay, I just won't mention this…

*SHUNK*

 _(sheathes ax)_

Dangstaboy: Anyways, that's all the time we have. I'll see you all again in the next interview. Oh, also, I'd like to say that if anyone has questions that they have for our characters happening through current events, I will make a special, final interview show after the entire fic is done! Yes! That will include all of the characters! Even the social links! Well, that's all for now; Good night everybody!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 _April 28, 2021; Wednesday_

 _2:17 PM_

 _Kyuto High; Classroom B-2_

 _tick-tick-tick-tick-tick…_

Johei's eyes were staring at the clock near the door; He felt the need to jump out of his seat and run to the mall in a hurry, whether it was because of their deadline or the need to escape from Mr. Ozuma's lecture, he wasn't sure. He placed his head down on his desk and brought it back up again to look at the taunting hands of the clock.

"2:18…" He muttered to himself.

He looked around the classroom to see if he was the only one who was antsy in the classroom. His gaze fell on Daichi who was spinning a pencil between his fingers. To his left, behind him, Iselin tapping her fingers on the desk. Only Kazuhiko seemed to be the calm at the time, then again, he always seemed a bit spaced out when he wasn't called on. He checked the clock one last time.

"2:19… and only a few seconds left…"

He felt his hand instinctively reach for his back pack, stuffing his pencil pouch into it and pulling it into his lap. Time seemed to slow down as he the clock's hand almost reached the top. Until…

RRRRIIIIINNNGG!

"Whoops, looks like I got carried away. Remember that tonight's homework is on the notes that we went over today. I will see you all tomorrow."

And with that, everyone had the rest of the day to themselves. Johei slung his back pack over one shoulder and walked to Kazuhiko's desk.

"So, we gonna go there or what?" Johei asked.

Iselin walked up to them.

"Of course we're going there today. We don't have a second to lose!" She said as she brought her fists up.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, and we've got the entire area mapped out to the 19th floor. We're going to finish this today."

" _We also have sufficiently prepared our materials for today. They are all inside Kazuhiko's bag."_ Tyr said, motioning to the baseball bag next to him.

"Alright, cool. Say, how about I help you carry that?"

Johei grabbed the bag only to be stunned by it's weight.

"Holy-! What the hell's in this?!" He asked as he struggled to keep himself upright.

Kazuhiko chuckled to himself slightly.

"Well, you remember how those soft drinks actually help us cast more spells?"

 _Flashback_

"So, a single can of Madbull increases MP by 5 points? Better get a lot of these just in case."

 _Present-day_

"Yeah, I might have been the cause for all the vending machines being out of drinks." Kazuhiko said with a little embarrassment.

Johei was still struggling with the weight of the bag.

"And you carried this with you the entire day?!"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, I've been going to the gym every now and then to beef up when I'm not in Niflheim."

Kazuhiko got out of his seat and picked up the bag with ease. Johei looked impressed and slightly jealous at the same time.

"Wow, you're really dedicated to this aren't you? Well, I'll leave that bag to you then."

"Actually, I think I'll be able to handle it." Daichi said as he held the bag in his hands.

"W-what?! How are you doing that?!"

Iselin picked up the bag herself.

"It is kinda hefty but I can hold it for a little while. Seriously Johei, how weak are you?"

Johei was sitting at a desk with his face on the top.

"I can't take much more of this…"

" _Man, I'm not even gonna make fun of that. Your strength is at the point of depression."_ Loki said, patting Johei on the back.

Mikan walked into the classroom with her bag at her side.

"Are you guys ready to go yet? We don't have a lot of time, you know."

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim_

 _Floor 19_

The group had just finished off a horde of shadows and were taking a quick break to heal up and drink some Energy drinks from Kazuhiko's seemingly bottomless bag.

"Ahh, that really hits the spot." Johei said as he crushed his can and threw it into his bag.

Hugin and Munin nodded approvingly.

" _Well done, mortal."_

" _You are finally realizing the insults that you were casting upon Frey."_

" _This will do as a sign of repent."_

"Hugin, Munin, please shut up. We're trying to talk strategy here." Daichi said as he was sitting at a table with Kazuhiko and the rest of the group.

They were currently in a safe room and found the need to strategize.

"Alright, so Iselin, you said that the father tends to do most of the arguing with Rika and the mother always supports the father?"

Iselin nodded.

"Yes. I've been over to Rika's house a few times before and it doesn't look pretty."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin and nodded.

"Well, the shadows represent them so I'm guessing that the father will do most of the attacking while the mother will deal buffs, heals, and debuffs. Iselin, we'll need you to counter those and give us some healing from time to time. Your our main healer, but if you see an opportunity to attack, take it."

Iselin nodded while Kazuhiko turned to Johei and Mikan.

"Johei, if we need to stun them, use one of your stun bombs. I assume you have about a dozen, right?"

"10, but I'll make the best of them."

"And if your run out, Mikan will make a pillar of ice and you aim a Garu at it. It'll work as a small snow screen. Mikan will be the long range support. If any of us are in trouble, draw attention to yourself long enough for us to find some cover or to get back to our feet."

Mikan flashed him a thumbs-up.

"You got it."

Now, Kazuhiko turned to Daichi.

"Daichi, you'll be part of the main attack force along with me, but you'll specialize in the physical attacks. I'll focus on elemental to see what their weakness is."

Daichi nodded in understanding and stood up.

"Well, now that we have all the positions in order, I say that we crash the party. Let's end this!" Kazuhiko said as he drew his sword and stepped to the door.

Niflheim; _Floor 20_

The gang ran into the room to find two figures waiting for them, each with their own menacing glare, which seemed to be focused mostly on Iselin.

" _So, you finally decided to show up, did you?"_

Iselin scowled right back at them, but remained silent as they continued.

" _Our daughter, our entire life's worth of working gone to waste! Because you just had to corrupt her!"_

Iselin tightened her fingers around her stiletto knife and gritted her teeth. Her anger was nearing it's boiling point; She didn't know how much longer she could go until she would burst at them in anger. A reassuring hand patted her shoulder; She turned around to see Kazuhiko, his eyes telling her to hold out for just a little longer. Deciding to trust him, Iselin lessened the intensity of her gaze towards the reflections.

" _We raised her knowing that she wouldn't be able to do great things without our guidance, and so we trained her. Little did we know that you were interrupting our plans."_

This time, Daina Colburne spoke.

" _We tried everything in our power to stop you from meeting her, but you were such a thorn in our side. Eventually, a bad apple spoils the entire basket; We had been fearing this from the beginning but the damage was done. There was no bringing her back onto the right path."_

"So you thought it was okay to just kill her?" Daichi suddenly said.

The entire team turned to him. He was facing the ground so they couldn't see his face, but his tightened hand showed all the anger that he was containing. His knuckles started turning white as he continued speaking in short, cut words.

"So you saw your daughter as a rotten apple that was too late to save, and that's why you decided that you'd rather have her die than to be a bad mark on your parenting?"

The atmosphere felt tense as Daichi gripped the handle of his jian, but the reflections of Rika's parents refused to keep silent.

" _What are you talking about? We were never the cause of our daughter's death; It was you!"_

Rika's father pointed an accusing finger at Iselin, his eyes turning slightly bloodshot.

" _You made her commit suicide! When you saw such a pure thing like our daughter, you couldn't help but use your own reputation to drag her through the mud!"_

Now, Iselin felt more confused than angry.

"What? I never did anything to her! You were the one's who sent her that phone call! You threw her into depression! That's why she murdered herself!"

But the reflections wouldn't listen anymore; Already, the shadows started to crawl onto them.

" _No… you did all of this. Did you ever notice at how people talked about her? How she was friends with the school's lost case?"_

" _Now do you see why she killed herself? Now stop lying! There's no other explanation for this! If you're here to stop us from seeing our child, then you won't survive!"_

The shadows started to swarm them until they were practically being added by the masses. Kazuhiko covered his face and started to step back.

"Everyone! Get to some cover!"

He ducked behind a knocked down pillar and saw that Iselin was gripping her knife a bit anxiously. He was about to ask what was wrong but heard a loud explosion behind them. Then, a large hand grabbed the pillar they were hiding behind and picked it up.

"Shit!" Kazuhiko yelled as he and Iselin got back to their feet.

The reflections of Rika's parents were now giant monstrosities towering over everyone. Rika's father was the owner of the large hand. His body was completely made of stone and his shoulders carried great mountains. His head was a large boulder that was roughly shaped as a face and his body had magma dripping down from it. Rika's mother, however, was a humanoid figure about 9 feet tall carrying a staff made of wood. She was floating with her legs crossed with a cauldron rested in her lap. Kazuhiko pulled on his chains to summon Tyr for help.

" _Now then, if you all are as corrupt as she is, I'm guessing it's our duty to strike you down as well."_ The reflections said as they started their attack.

" _ **Marakukaja**!" _ Volva(Rika's mother's shadow form)said as she mixed some herbs into her cauldron and poured the contents onto Surt (Rika's father's shadow form).

Instantly, Surt became stronger and launched an **Agi** attack on them. Kazuhiko blocked the attack with his sword with minor injuries. Spreading his arms, he summoned Tyr to attack.

" _ **Zionga**!" _ Tyr yelled as he sent volts of lightning to the giant.

Surt took the entire hit directly but only flinched.

"Looks like he's resistant to lightning. Try switching Kaz!" Johei said as he sent Loki to deal a **Sonic Punch**.

Mikan, who was pelting Volva with arrows broke her chains.

"How about we try something new, Skadi?"

" _ **Bufula**!"_ Skadi yelled as she cast a blizzard towards the levitating witch.

Volva staggered slightly but quickly recovered her balance. Quickly, the with started to mix more herbs into the cauldron at a more rapid pace. Johei broke his chains to call Loki.

"Let's see if some wind'll work."

" _ **Garula**!"_ Loki yelled as he conjured up great bodies of wind towards Volva.

But Volva, instead of trying to dodge the attack, turned it so that the tornadoes got sucked into the cauldron.

"It's absorbing the attack for a later use! Everyone, guard yourself!" Daichi yelled as he called Hugin and Munin to his side.

A split second later, Volva turned her cauldron to Iselin and banged the end with her staff.

" _ **Garudyne**!"_ She yelled as a massive whirlwind erupted from the cauldron straight towards Iselin.

Iselin saw the attack coming and called Hildr.

"I'll be needing you!"

Hildr appeared in front of her just as the whirlwind came in contact. The attack sent Hildr ack a few feet.

" _Hrgh… I don't think I can handle this."_ Hildr said as her defense was being pushed back.

Suddenly, Hildr was sent flying along with Iselin to the ground. Daichi rushed to her and helped her up.

"You alright?" He asked.

Iselin nodded.

"Yeah. It's just that the attack was more than I expected." She said wincing when she supported herself on one side with her bruised arm.

"She absorbs the attack and builds it up to a more powerful move! Stick to physical attacks for now!" Kazuhiko yelled as he broke his chains to summon another Persona.

Mikan was continuing to rain arrows on Volva but didn't notice Surt moving in for an attack.

" _ **Might of Thor**!"_

The fire giant threw a powerful punch to Mikan and sent her to the floor in pain. Johei quickly ran up to her helping to get her up.

"Thanks Joh- HEY! WATCH THOSE HANDS!"

Mikan smacked Johei in the face for good measure but winced in pain as she felt that one of her ribs were broken.

"Ow… sorry Mika-senpai, I was only trying to help you up."

" _Mmhmm."_ Loki nodded with a raised eyebrow.

"Just shut up and help me heal her." Johei said as he broke his chains.

" _ **Dia** "_ Loki said as a shower of light was cast from his palms.

The healing spell fixed Mikan's broken rib, but she was still weakened from the direct attack. Standing up, she picked up her bow and tested it to see if it still worked.

"Kaz! We're going to need another plan." Johei said as he supported Mikan.

Kazuhiko nodded and changed his Persona back to Tyr.

" _So, time to strategize?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"I assume you were watching, right? Volva can absorb our attacks and return them in a more powerfull form. Surt is buffed by her as well which makes her the ideal target to take down first, but we can't keep attacking if she just sends our attacks back."

Tyr blocked an attack from Surt and grunted.

" _So can absorb anything and return it to us with more intensity? Not just our attacks._ "

"Well, right now, she only absorbs elemental attacks. Physical attacks work but we won't last long with Surt attacking us all the time. She also casts buffs from that cauldron in her lap. **Mighty Slash**!"

Tyr swung his sword in a wide arc making contact with Volva, but she stayed afloat. Iselin tried to debuff the witch.

" _Try and weaken me all you wish. I'll only absorb it and make it strengthen Surt!"_ Volva said as she continued to mix herbs.

Kazuhiko went for a slash at Surt and succeeded in slicing of a but of his stone face, but didn't cause a lot of damage.

"So, now she can reverse our debuffs and turn them into buffs for the giant. How are we supposed to use that?" He muttered to himself.

As Volva cast a debuff to Daichi, Kazuhiko noticed how the it was cast in the same way she did with a buff. Then, an idea sprang into Kazuhiko's mind

" _Kazuhiko, what was that thing you told me about before? Reverse something?"_ Tyr said, coming to the same conclusion.

"It's called reverse psychology. And I think it could come in handy right about now."

Kazuhiko shattered his chains and summoned another Persona.

"Thanks Tyr. Orobas!"

" _NEIGH! Who dares to summon me?!"_

"I fused you quite a while ago. You should know by now."

" _NEIGH! I require your status! I may only be summoned under the commands of a Demon King!"_

"Just the floating witch with **Marakukaja**."

" _NEIGH! Are you crazy?! She'll get stronger!"_

"Shut up or I'll take you back to Igor and exchange you for Matador."

" _NEIGH! Fair enough."_

Kazuhiko cast the buff spell towards Volva while Johei protested.

"Dude! Why did you do that?"

Kazuhiko stopped Johei with his hand.

"Just wait."

Volva began to mix more herbs into her cauldron and caught his Marakukaja. Then, she poured the contents on Surt

" _AGGH! What is this?! I feel weaker!"_ Surt yelled as his defense of obsidian fell.

"You see, debuffs and buffs look nearly the same. I figured that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference and would change my buff to a debuff that was strong enough to finish of Surt. Now, let's give it all we've got!"

The others gathered around Surt and charged for an attack that sent him to the ground, writhing in pain. He tried to get up, but the shadows that surrounded him were peeling away. Johei put his foot on top of his chest.

"I'd stay down if I were you." He said as he glared into the reflection's eyes.

Volva continuously tried to defend herself, casting spells but none of them really doing her any good. Iselin quickly jumped and slashed her arm, sending the cauldron onto the groud, preventing her from casting anymore spells.

"And now for the finale!" Daichi said as he broke his chains.

"Hugin! Munin!"

" _ **Twin Assault**!"_

The attack sent the witch falling to the ground. The shadows crawled off of her as the reflection finally became exposed.

" _Now look what you've done…"_ Rika's father said.

" _Killing her wasn't enough for you, was it? You just have to go after us too, don't you?"_

Iselin shook her head.

"This is justice! For what you did to her! I never did anything to her except be her friend and help her! You killed her!"

Now, for the first time, the reflections seemed to register what she was saying.

" _What?… How did we kill her?"_ Rika's mother asked.

Iselin scowled even more viciously.

"You sent her a phone call when she was in Nuzoko! You threatened to sell her away if she didn't live up to your expectations! How could you possibly forget that?!"

"They didn't send that call." A familiar voice called to them from the staircase.

Everybody turned around to face a group of hooded figures. Daichi gritted his teeth as he looked at the one in the front.

"Shiroe…"

The figure who seemed to be the leader nodded from under his hood, then continued to speak.

"That soul was doomed to die one way or another. We just had to speed up the process to ensure that all goes according to plan. Besides, her death brought you your new teammate, didn't she? You should be partially grateful."

Iselin lunged at the hooded man with her stiletto knife and slashed for his head, but he quickly dodged.

"You planned it?! I'll kill you!"

Shiroe sighed as if he was bored with her and broke the chains on his wrists.

"You won't mind if I borrow Vidar for a moment, right?"

One of the other hooded figures grunted angrily.

"Oh, sure. Just because your a higher rank means you can use my Persona?"

" _ **Herculean Counter**!"_

The leader summoned the scale wielding Persona and sent Iselin flying back.

"You're time to fight us is not now. It's quite obvious due to the difference in power. For now, realize that you only live because we allow it. You are all pawns of fate, sooner or later being sacrificed for a larger picture."

And with that, the leader waved his hand and the entire group disappeared, leaving the party with Rika's parents. Rika's parents had watched the entire thing and turned to Iselin.

" _So… you really weren't the one?"_

Iselin shook her head.

"No, I wasn't. But now that we know, we'll stop at nothing to avenge her. You have my word on that."

"And mine too! I still have something in store for that Shiroe guy." Johei said while punching his palm enthusiastically.

Daichi pitched in too.

"He lied to me. He made me kill innocents that still weigh me down today. I shall put them to rest soon enough when I make sure that he can't harm another soul."

Rika's father nodded.

" _Very well then. When we show up, we won't blame you like we did before. I hope that you forgive us. For all that we've done… "_

Iselin shook her head.

"I don't give two shits about what you did to me. The only thing I care about is that you recognize what you did to your daughter. It's the least you can do as her parents to go to her grave."

Rika's parents nodded with tears streaming down their faces.

" _True… We are her parents… after all…"_

The reflections disappeared into the air with their last vow. Kazuhiko finally sheathed his sword and looked at what they had left behind.

"Hey, it's photograph." He said as he picked it up.

Inside the picture frame was an image of Iselin's parents smiling together as they held an infant in their arms. The baby looked forward with wide eyes, as if it was looking right at Kazuhiko. Tyr made slight sniffling noises.

"Tyr; Are you… crying?"

Tyr quickly wiped his face with his arm and looked back at his user.

" _A-absolutely not! Well… maybe a little… *sniff*"_

Tyr turned to Iselin and showed her the photo. She gasped as she looked at it.

"I… I can't believe this… They really did care for her at one point… "

She was about to give it back but Kazuhiko pushed it towards her.

"I think you should be the one who keeps it."

" _Indeed… You shall carry… her memory in… your mind and… her image with you always."_ Tyr said between sniffs.

Iselin smiled and put the photograph in her bag.

"Well, thanks. This really means a lot to me."

She turned to the rest of the group and saw that Johei and Loki were crying too.

"That's… that's so sad! WAAHH!"

" _Dude… stop crying… I'm almost at my limit as well… *sniff*"_

" _How about you think of your dead children?"_

" _DAMN YOU SKADI! WAAHH!"_

"Why did you do that?!" Mikan asked her Persona.

" _Just let me have this. Besides, crying doesn't weaken you. It… it makes one… s-stronger…"_ Skadi said while wiping a tear from her eye.

Daichi was meanwhile trying to calm down his Personas.

"Hugin! Munin! Will you try to calm down? It's alright!"

" _All this time!… *sniff*"_

" _They really… *sniff*"_

" _Didn't care at all! WAAHH!"_

"Wait, what are you talking about?!"

" _The cauldron! Leader of the pots and pans!"_

" _It attacked us! It never really cared about our rebellion at all!"_

"That's what you're crying about?!"

Kazuhiko scratched the back of his head and got out a Goho-m.

"Alright. I think we've had enough for today. Hold on you guys."

 _5:54 PM_

 _Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe_

 _Evening_

"Oh man, that hits the spot!" Johei said as he finished his soda.

The group made haste to their usual cafe and placed their orders. Pretty soon, they were relaxing after their recent victory.

" _We should come here more often"_ Loki said as he felt the effects of the soda wash over him.

" _We come here every time we go to the Mirror Dimension."_ Skadi pointed out.

" _Still not often enough."_

Kazuhiko thanked the waiter and took a sip of his latte.

"Well, looks like it's gonna be a while until we have to go in there again. I think we deserve a good break."

" _Yes, I think so too. You all have gotten stronger than before and I think this so-called 'break' could do you all some good."_

Hildr nodded solemnly.

" _Well, I was only here for a few days. I've gotten a lot stronger, but I was hoping for some more action. I want to relive my Valkyrie days."_

Iselin sighed.

"Give it a rest for a little while. Running ourselves ragged won't do us any good. Besides, Golden week is coming up!"

Johei put down a croissant he was eating and nodded.

"Ovyeah! Ivalmosht forghot abought dat!"

Mikan slapped the back of his head.

"Chew properly before you speak! Honestly, it's like I'm your parent."

Johei gulped his food.

"Well, you are my senpai. It's close enough. Anyways, the school was planning on making a field trip to Tokyo!"

Daichi turned his head.

"Is that what everybody was talking about in the hallways? I didn't know that."

Daichi sipped his tea and put his cup down as Mikan spoke.

"Well, they only allow students who score a top ten grade for their class and gender, meaning you'll have to score the top ten for the second years male division along with Kazuhiko and Daichi."

Johei waved his hand in her direction.

"Come on, you're talking to the guy who made the top ten and only studied a single day."

" _You studied content that you should have known last year."_ Loki pointed out.

"Oh, shut up!"

Kazuhiko chuckled at the two.

"Well, Johei getting top ten once is a miracle in it's own sense. But, just in case, let's all study together at the library for when we apply to take the test."

Everybody agreed and cleared the table. Kazuhiko paid the check using some Niflheim cash and quickly joined the others.

 _Nuzoko Library_

 _6:44 PM_

"Ughh. This stuff is so boring…"

Iselin lied down on the table and groaned. Everybody else either stared at her or continued studying. Mikan patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We've only got a few problems left to finish. We'll take the test tomorrow."

Iselin pulled herself back in her chair and wrote some notes in her notebook. Daichi shook his head.

"Honestly, how are you going to make the top ten with that attitude?"

Iselin glared at him fro m beneath her glasses.

"Shut up, feather brain. It's not like you've gotten any better. In fact, I doubt you even had schooling in th Mirror Dimension."

Hugin cawed.

" _Actually, Master Daichi passed the entrance exam with flying colors."_

" _His knowledge is limitless!"_

" _Although Lord Odin may be smarter."_

" _Is he really?"_

" _Let's find out!"_

" _Alright then! Let's ask Master Odin!"_

" _He knows everything!"_

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" Iselin said as she held her head in her hands.

She finished up the last questions and leaned back.

"Finally! I'm done!"

"Save that for when you finish the test." Johei said as he closed his own textbook.

Seeing that everybody was finished with their studying, Kazuhiko stood up.

"Okay, I think that's enough. You guys ready for the test tomorrow?"

Everybody nodded and Kazuhiko smiled.

"Alright then. Let's go home now. Take it easy, too; We don't have any more suicides coming up."

The entire group returned their books and walked out of the library. First to leae the group was Johei, then Mikan. Soon it was Just Kazuhiko, Daichi, and Iselin left.

"Hey, if you guys don't mind, can we stop by the cemetery?" Iselin asked.

Daichi threw her a questioning glance.

"It's getting dark though."

"What? You afraid of the dark, Hawkeye?"

"Don't call me that." Daichi said as he glared at her.

Iselin being Iselin, didn't seem to notice. Kazuhiko, however, caught on quite quickly.

"Hey, let's just go with her for now." He whispered to Daichi.

Daichi started to protest when he saw Iselin turn the corner.

"Come on, feather brain! Don't tell me you're chicken!"

Daichi grunted and followed her with Kazuhiko.

"Bad pun… That was a horrible pun."

Then, he smiled wickedly.

"Say, did you know what your last name means?"

Iselin looked at him confusedly.

"Yeah, it means bear."

"I can't… bear those horrible puns."

Iselin stared at him then rage filled her eyes. Daichi noticed his mistake and quickly rushed past her.

"I WILL BURY YOU ALIVE!" She screamed as she chased after him.

Kazuhiko turned to Tyr.

"So, should I stop them or… ?"

Tyr shook his head.

" _No, I think that it would be best to leave those two lovebirds alone to their antics."_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, those tw- wait, lovebirds?"

Tyr quickly turned around avoiding eye-contact with his user as Kazuhiko eyed him suspiciously.

"Never mind. Let's just hurry up."Kazuhiko said as he started into a running pace.

A few minutes later, Kazuhiko caught up with them; Thankfully, both of them seemed calm. They were standing in front of a gravestone. On it, read:

Rika Colburne

Died at Age 17

Living Within Our Hearts and Our Memories

At the foot of the stone lay the picture that they captured from Niflheim.

"Truth is," Iselin spoke.

"I kind of knew that she was putting her reputation at risk when we became friends, but I was just so excited that I had someone to talk to, I didn't even notice."

They stayed silent for a little while, but Kazuhiko felt the need to say something.

"Do you want to say a prayer for her?" He asked.

Iselin smiled.

"A prayer from an atheist. That sounds ironic already. But, sure."

They all put their hands together and Kazuhiko led the prayer.

"Rika Colburne, may your spirit finally be at rest in the afterlife. You experienced hardships in life that were not meant to be experienced. Be at peace, knowing that there were people in this world that cared for you and loved you with all of their hearts. May your spirit rest in peace."

More silence followed, until Daichi spoke.

"I never met Rika in life, but I learned more about her after her death. That she was a caring person; She put her friends as her priority and wanted to make sure that people didn't suffer the same way she did. For that, she will live on as a figure of motivation for us all. For that, I will never forget her as long as I live."

Iselin started to weep and Daichi felt the need to put his arms around her and give her a hug. Before he could do that, she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. It's just that, you guys didn't even know her and you speak about her like you've known her your entire lives. It's like she has that effect around her."

She wiped her tears and turned to both of them.

"Thanks for being here with me. Both of you. Let's meet up again after the test. I'll see you soon."

They eventually left their separate ways, actually, Kazuhiko kind of left them. Iselin and Daichi just left for the dorms. But that left Kazuhiko with a lot of thinking time.

"Hey, Tyr. Do you ever think we'll be able to catch them? The Bringers of Death?"

Tyr pondered on the subject for some time.

" _Yes. One way or another, we will catch them. It's a resolve that I have made. No matter how dangerous a task is, I fell like I have to face it with all of my courage. I am based off of a god of courage, after all."_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. And to succeed, we need everybody to have the outlook. These bonds that I make, They are what's most important; It's like I have to do this. I brought the entire group together, either by chance or by fate, We were meant to meet each other. And our goal will be the same as one another's."

" _Well said. I can see now why everybody saw you as the leader."_

Kazuhiko turned to him.

"Really? Huh, I guess I have been the leading them this entire time. Thanks Tyr. I really appreciate this coming from you."

Tyr smiled back at him.

" _You are very welcome, Kazuhiko."_

In a split moment, Kazuhiko and Tyr both felt something click. Then, the entire world stopped.

"What's going on?"

Kazuhiko asked.

" _I'm not sure._ " Tyr said.

Then, they saw a card appear before their eyes. A voice called out to them.

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the beginning of the struggle against the chains of despair_

 _I present to thee, the Fool Arcana_

 **So, we are back baby! Man, this chapter was kind of stressful to write with all that I have right now. AP Phys is really mopping the floor with me right now, but I'm doing better in APUSH. Hope you all are doing pretty good too, both in your professional lives and your personal lives as well. Also, don't be surprised if I don't post a new chapter in a few weeks, I'm thinking of taking a break after the next chapter to collect my thoughts and make a new character that will be coming up, but they won't be appearing in another 3 to 4 chapters. One last thing is that I'm thinking of making some social link characters for Kazuhiko that aren't part of the team. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to share your ideas! I'm all ears! Oh, and for those of you who remember Daichi and his phantom thieves dilemma, he's making the first steps in his revenge…**

 _Persona 5: Daichi_

Akira: Ugh… where… am I?

Daichi: You are in an interrogation room, Kurusu. Then again, you should be quite familiar with this setting.

Akira: Wha-? Hey! This is illegal! I demand my rights!

Daichi: I believe that you have no rights in here, criminal.

Akira: What did I do this time? I swear I didn't do anything!

Daichi: This can all be over in a second. Just answer my questions and you and your friends can go free.

Akira: Wait, what have you done to them?!

Daichi: Officer Hugin and Munin, please report on the prisoners.

Hugin (on the radio): The blond one is quite feisty for someone who can't even say the "f" word

Akira: Wait, is that Ryuji he's talking about?

Munin (on the radio): The girls are quite secure. Although one of them won't stop cussing so much. Please hurry it up sir.

Daichi: Now, just answer my question; Where is my wallet?

Akria: Wait, what?

Daichi: Yeah, you heard me. Which one of you stole my wallet? Where is it?

Akira: … I really have no idea what you're talking about.

Daichi: Oh do you now? Well, I guess that your friends might know something. Officer Hugin, take the blond cusser to room 101.

Akira: Wait! Leave him out of this! We don't know anything!

Daichi: I'm not hearing any information about my wallet. You'd better hurry it up. Room 101 is just a few rooms down the hall from where your friend is.

Akira: PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T!

Dangstaboy: Oh, hey Daichi! Sorry I played that prank on you. Here's your wallet back!

Daichi: Wait, you stole my wallet?

Dangstaboy: Yeah, sorry about that. Wait, what is Akira doing here?

Daichi: I thought he took my wallet!

Dangstaboy: Oh God no! Atlus is gonna sue me until I'm broke!

 _(Atlus corp. breaks down the door with the police)_

Atlus: Freeze right there!

Dangstaboy: Wait, please understand!

 _(Atlus officer hand cuffs me)_

Atlus: Dangstaboy, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of official Atlus characters!

Dangstaboy: Wait, I didn't do any of this! The red-head! He did it! Not me!

 _(Dangstaboy is dragged off by Atlus police)_

Daichi: So… what are the chances of you guys forgetting this ever happened?

Akira: You might want to ask her about that.

Daichi: Who?

Makoto: Me!

Daichi:… So, can we just drop this in good faith?

*BAM*


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 _The Velvet Room_

 _?_

"*chuckle* It seems our guest is awake."

Kazuhiko opened his eyes and found himself at his usual seat in the witness stand. The long-nosed old man and his assistant were at the judge's chair and stared down at him.

"My, my. To see such a strong soul power through anything in their way; It reminds me of my last guest, how attached he was to his friends. As my assistant once said, he is a guest that 'never ceases to amaze'. But what about you, I wonder?"

Kazuhiko stayed silent, his eyes drifting to Alexandria, who glared at him but didn't say a word.

"If you will mind me asking, was there a way to prevent Rika Colburne's death?"

Igor rested his chin on his hands and smiled.

"The death of that girl was inevitable. Fate decides what we will do and what happens to us. As for the residents of the Velvet Room, we are only here to observe and assist in the minimal way."

Kazuhiko nodded, then Igor turned to Alexandria.

"Now then, I believe that my assistant has a request for you. Do lend an ear to her."

Kazuhiko turned to the girl who crossed her arms, wrapping the book she held with them, and closed her eyes.

"Now that you have achieved the ability to fuse more than two Personas together, I have been keeping a watchful eye on your progress within the Persona Compendium. However, the Personas you make are lacking in the strength and skills; Not to mention that many of the pages within my Compendium are blank. Therefore, I have decided to make requests for you to fuse certain Personas with certain skills. Your efforts will not be in vain, however. I will personally see to it myself that you will be rewarded for the Personas you bring me."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin in deep thought.

"And what types of rewards will they be? Not to be rude, but I don't want to venture into Niflheim looking for Personas and fusing them just for petty cash."

Alexandria scowled at him, but regained her posture.

"Your rewards will consist of access to my extensive compendium. At any moment where you would wish to buy a Persona, you make speak to me. However, the Personas I have are only limited to the amount that you have discovered. As you'd probably guess, this will make fusing much quicker."

Kazuhiko nodded in approval.

"Alright then, I guess that's fair. So, is this all that you called me here for?"

Igor shook his head and chuckled.

"No, you see, we originally called you here to bring you news of another encounter in your journey. Keep in mind that one cannot walk down the path of life without a few stumbles on the way; They are, in fact, what is most significant about human beings. Those times which one may fall, their future is decided on how they pick themselves up."

Igor then picked up the judge's mallet and hit it on the gavel.

"Well, until we meet again, honored guest."

Kazuhiko's eyes dimmed. His last sight was on Alexandria, who looked at him, not with annoyance, but with understanding.

 _April 29, 2021; Thursday_

 _3:27 PM_

Kazuhiko focused on the exam that he had in front of him; His hand quickly circled answers on the paper and before he knew it, he was done. He stood up from his desk, placed the sheet of paper on the teacher's desk, and sat back at his own. The test had been fairly short, but it was just required a lot of work.

There weren't many students in the classroom, probably because some students were just in the mood to go immediately home after school in time for the vacation, but the most of the seats seemed to be occupied. Some time later, Daichi stood up and placed his test on the teacher's desk. Around now, mostly everyone was done, that is, except for some people…

"hrrghh…" Johei grumbled to himself.

He was stuck on a question that he had been working on for the past 20 minutes.

Tap tap tap tap

"Alright! That's enough time! Hand in your tests please!" Mr. Ozuma said from his seat.

Johei started to panic and quickly filled in as many answers on his test before Mr. Ozuma was forced to take it straight from his desk.

"Noooo… I was almost finished…"

Johei sagged onto the top of his desk, his face down. Kazuhiko decided to try to cheer him up.

"Hey, don't worry. I saw some of the answers you had. Most of them were right."

Johei immediately brightened up.

"Yeah! So what if I didn't finish it? At least I got a passing grade! Say, Iselin, how did you do?"

Iselin was laying on her desk with her eyes out of focus.

"Too much… Can't… breath…"

Kazuhiko tried his best to cheer her up.

"Uh, well at least you got something out of studying last night, right?"

Iselin didn't get up.

"I am so behind…"

Daichi sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Ice Queen. You barely got enough to get by. I saw your answers too."

"Hey, am I coming in at the wrong time?"

Mikan was at the doorway and poked her head in to look. Kazuhiko shook his head and she stepped in.

"Well, the test for me was pretty easy. Besides, I could use the warm up to get ready for mid-terms."

Iselin and Johei both groaned.

"You just had to remind me, didn't you?" Johei said.

"It's like this nightmare never ends…" Iselin mumbled with her face in her hands.

Daichi rolled his eyes at the two and picked up his backpack.

"Well, there's no sense of crying over spilled milk; If you didn't make the cut then you only have yourselves to blame. Mr. Ozuma's already got our tests graded so I say we go to the bulletin board in the hallway."

 _Kyuto High; Hallway_

"I can't do this! My heart can't take it!"

"Johei, calm down."

"Please don't make me do this, Senpai! I'm too young to die!"

"Iselin, it's alright."

" _We can't look, Master Daichi!"_

" _Facing our scores would be too unbearable!"_

"You guys didn't take the test."

" _Oh"_

Kazuhiko and Mikan were practically dragging Johei and Iselin along the ground to the bulletin board. Daichi decided to move ahead a ways from them so he wouldn't have to push through the crowd.

"Oh man! How did this happen?!"

"I could have sworn I got a perfect score!"

"What the hell is he doing on the list?!"

The already was a large crowd in front of the board, but after several minutes, the group was able to make it to the front. Johei was covering his face while Iselin gawked at the board.

"Please, whatever my score is, don't load it onto me all at once." Johei said.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Iselin said.

"Yes, yes, I know. My grades are that bad. Please don't make such a big deal out of it."

"We're both in the top 7th spot."

"I guess I'll just spend my Golden week at Ju- wait we're in the top seven?"

Johei walked up to the board and stared at the list.

 _Top Ten Scores Second Years_

 _Boys Division_

 _1\. Shiita Nanahara, 20 of 20 correct_

 _2\. Kazuhiko Sukima, 20 of 20 correct_

 _3\. Daichi Amasawa, 19 of 20 correct_

 _4\. Subito Kureo, 19 of 20 correct_

 _5\. Shinji Arabei, 19 of 20 correct_

 _6\. Souma Iwasaki, 19 of 20 correct_

 _7\. Johei Shiroka, 18 of 20 correct_

 _8\. Ryou Takonawa, 18 of 20 correct_

 _9\. Isogai Funsaiki, 18 of 20 correct_

 _10\. Maehara Sugochi, 18 of 20 correct_

 _Girls Division_

 _1\. Yumi Amano, 20 of 20 correct_

 _2\. Mayami Himura, 20 of 20 correct_

 _3\. Noriko Shiba, 19 of 20 correct_

 _4\. Rinka Fujika, 19 of 20 correct_

 _5\. Ritsu Malm, 19 of 20 correct_

 _6\. Miso Akibaro, 19 of 20 correct_

 _7\. Iselin Bjorn, 18 of 20 correct_

 _8\. Makoto Yui, 18 of 20 correct_

 _9\. Miku Toyoba, 18 of 20 correct_

 _10\. Momo Sugahara, 17 of 20 correct_

"Wh-what? I actually got 7th place?!"

Johei's eyes went back into his head and he fell forward.

"Only… only two wrong? There is a god…"

Iselin did likewise and both were on the floor unconscious. Kazuhiko rolled his eyes and heaved Johei up.

"Come on guys, let's bring them to the nurse's office." He said.

Daichi nodded and supported Iselin with his arm. Just then, the Personas decided to show up.

" _Yo guys! What's- whoa what happened here?"_ Loki asked.

"They feinted when they saw their scores. We're bringing them to the nurse's office."

Loki chuckled and walked over to the board.

" _That bad, huh? Well, then, let's see how bad they really are-"_

Loki took one look at the board and froze.

" _S-s-s-s-seventh place?!"_

" _Oh, looks like the studying payed off for Iselin. She got seventh in her division too."_ Hildr said when she looked at the board.

" _Nice job Is- What?! What are you doing to her?!"_

Daichi accidentally tripped and was holding onto Iselin's… cleavage to support her.

"Ah! I-it's not what it looks like!"

" _What did you do to her?!"_ Hildr shouted at him.

" _I told you! He was spending too much time around Johei!"_ Skadi said to Mikan.

" _Yes! That must be it! He must have spiked her drink!"_ Hildr said while pointing an accusing finger at the boy.

"What?! I wouldn't do that!"

" _Master Daichi! Your wisdom knows no bounds! What a perfect strategy to attract potential mates!"_ Hugin cawed.

" _Precisely! What is this potion that you slipped into her drink to make her so?"_ Munin asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Daichi yelled at the crows.

"Hm… ? What… happened… ?" Iselin asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked at Daichi holding her up and felt something on her chest. She looked down and saw where his hand was.

"Wh- AH! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I swear! It was just an accident!"

" _Master Daichi! Please, tell us of this thing you slipped into her drink!"_

" _Aha! So you did do something to her!"_

*BAM* *WHAM* *POW*

Johei opened his eyes to see Daichi getting pummeled by Iselin.

"Uh, did I wake up at a bad time?" He asked.

" _You should have woken earlier. Daichi just made me proud in such a short time."_ Loki said while enjoying the scene.

" _And you admit to teaching him those things…?"_ Skadi asked.

" _Yup! And I regret doing none of it!"_

*WHAM*

" _K-HAH!"_

Skadi sent a fist straight to Loki's monitor and continued to punch him on the ground.

" _Remind me again who we were taking to the nurse's office?"_ Tyr asked.

"We're still going there, but for Daichi's stitches."

 _Cemetery_

 _5:32 PM_

Only a few people were still at the cemetery after th funeral. The gang had decided to stay for a short while before leaving home to pack up. Iselin had started to make her way to Rika's gravestone when she noticed two people already there.

"Hm? Wait, what are those two doing here?" She asked herself.

Daichi, who had been following along, heard her.

"What do you mean? Do you know them?"

The couple turned around and their eyes opened widely.

"Y-you're actually here?" Mr. Colburne said in surprise.

Iselin quickly changed her expression to a glare.

"Of course I'd be here. I was her friend. But I should be asking the same to you."

Mr. Colburne bowed his head in shame as did Rika's mother.

"Yes… we understand what you must be feeling. You think that we are to blame for this, and we won't deny that had some part in it, but we never had this intention for her."

Iselin tried to glare at them some more, but it wasn't any use; She knew they weren't the cause for her friend's death, but that didn't mean they didn't give her a hard time. Instead, she settled for a sigh.

"So, when did you come here?"

This time, Mrs. Colburne spoke.

"We arrived this morning. Had to put off our jobs, but we didn't think it was right to keep at our desks while our daughter lay in Japan."

"Well, at least you made it here in the end. She would have been thankful for that at least." Daichi said.

The Colburne's attention now turned to the red -headed Japanese boy who accompanied Iselin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you know our daughter?"

Daichi shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry, but I did know that she was a good friend to Iselin. She seemed like a very kind person."

Mrs. Colburne nodded and started to tear up.

"Yes… *sniff* t-that does sound like her…"

The couple quickly excused themselves and left the cemetery leaving Daichi and Iselin alone.

"Strange… I've never seen them like that before…" Iselin said to herself.

"They seem like completely different people now."

"It's because of what we did in the Mirror Dimension." Daichi said.

"Huh?"

Iselin turned around and looked at the red headed boy.

"One's reflection is the literal reflection of an original's true nature. If we changed their reflection, we could change them as well."

"Yeah… I guess that makes sense…" Iselin said, rubbing her temples.

"Well, we won't have to worry about it for too long. It's Golden Week; we deserve a rest."

And after saying their goodbyes to Rika, the two left to look for the others.

 _Elsewhere_

Johei stood in front of Suzuki's gravestone with Loki next to him. The wind was slightly blowing his hair into his eyes, but he didn't mind, especially if it was in front of her.

"Hey… Suzuki."

" _Huh? Are you talking to somebody? I don't think they heard you. HEY! SUZUKI!"_

"Goddammit Loki, shut up!"

Loki stopped yelling at the top of his lungs and raised his eyebrow.

" _What? What did I do?"_

Johei tilted his head in the direction of the tombstone.

"I was just trying to get sentimental here."

Loki quickly nodded in understanding.

" _Oh, I see. Continue."_

Johei sighed and looked down on Suzuki's grave.

"Well, I… we found out who did this to you. Well… not exactly who… but we have a basic idea."

" _Smooth, cowboy."_ Loki said.

"Loki… could you please not make fun of me now?… Just… for like a few minutes…?" Johei said, his voice shuddering.

Loki picked up the tone and got closer to his user.

" _Hm? Hey, did I do something wrong? You alright, man?"_

Loki tried to get in front of Johei but his face was covered by his bangs.

"Just… just please… this is really important…"

Loki looked even more confused.

" _Well, tell me why this is important. Who's this Suzuki person? Sounds like a bike."_

"SHE'S THE FIRST ONE WHO DIED BECAUSE OF THEM!"

Loki flew a few meters back in shock. He met Johei's gaze, which seemed to burn into him, not with hate, but with pain.

" _Whoa, dude, chill. Okay, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. But who was she to you? I'm just curious."_

Johei looked back down at the gravestone and knelt with his hands on the ground.

"She… she was my friend… I really… really liked her…"

Loki made no indication to laugh and stayed quiet.

"She went through a lot… She could have had a bright future!"

Johei started to have tears coming down his face until he felt a pat on his back.

" _Hey man, wherever she is right now, I'll bet that she's really proud of what you're doing right now."_

Johei wiped his tears and looked back at his Persona.

"Yeah… yeah, she would be happy…"

 _Mikan's POV_

Mikan knelt before a gravestone praying. On it, it read, "Hisashi Echihiro".

"Hey, Hisashi Onii-san. Well, I can tell you that I've made a lot of friends this year. Good friends. Some that you wouldn't even believe."

Skadi was bowing her head in respect with her sword embedded into the ground and kneeling on one knee.

" _May your soul rest in peace, brave brother of Mika-san."_

Mikan looked confused at Skadi.

"He's already been at rest for quite some time now. What do you mean?"

" _Well, in my time, people who died without a weapon in their hand was doomed to roam the world in purgatory until the end of time. He had the spirit of a fighter and went down in such a noble and selfless way. I just want to make sure that he's respected by both of us."_

Mikan nodded and continued praying.

"Well, there have been a lot of incidents recently, people suddenly killing themselves. It's all because of a group. I almost died because of them, but I was saved by my new friends. It's like people will always protect me. But now, I want to protect them. I don't want anyone to get hurt again like you did. So, rest assured that nobody's going to die on my watch!"

 _Kazuhiko POV_

" _Kazuhiko, who are these people?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko was currently in front of two gravestones that read the name of his parents.

"These people are the ones who welcomed me into the world. I didn't know them for very long, but they were everything to me."

" _I see. And without these two, we wouldn't have met."_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yep. Although, I wish I could have known them longer. If they were alive right now, they'd probably flip when they found out I was exploring a world in the mirror. Tyr?"

Tyr didn't answer and seemed to be frozen in place, just staring at the graves with his breath shortening.

" _G…hugh…tch…Ah!"_

Tyr's hand shot quickly to his head as if the was a sharp pain.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

Tyr's complexion smoothed and he nodded.

" _Yes… I'm fine… So, you were saying about your parents car crash?"_

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"I never said anything about that. How did you know?"

Tyr shook his head and waved his hand.

" _I-it's nothing. Say, isn't it getting a little late?"_

The sky was starting to darken and most of the visitors were starting to leave. Kazuhiko decided not to press the matter and agreed.

"Yeah, let's get going then."

Kazuhiko soon met with the rest of the group.

"So, let's pack up for the trip and meet together at school so we can be in a group tomorrow." Kazuhiko said.

" _Whoa, whoa, whoa. In groups, we have to be together right?"_ Loki asked

Johei looked at Loki with a raised eyebrow.

"…Yes… we do…"

Loki continued.

" _And we'll have to stick together the entire time?"_

"Yeah… of course we are…"

" _And we have to go to the same boarding?"_

"We can't sleep with the girls, Loki."

" _Dammit!"_

Skadi glared at the mischievous Persona while Hildr just shook her head.

" _Honestly, did you think that they would allow that to happen?"_ Skadi asked.

" _You can't blame me for trying."_ Loki countered.

" _Oh yes, that reminds me. Shouldn't you also make plans of what you would want to see there?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Don't worry, I found a tourist guidebook that can show us all the good places."

"If you are all finished, would you please leave?" A voice said from behind them.

Johei jumped at the sound and turned around. Behind him was a young man with sandy blond hair tied in a ponytail and a grim look on his face. He seemed to have been standing there for quite some time.

"And who were you all talking to? I couldn't help but notice you all facing thin air and giving answers to unstated questions."

Mikan quickly butted in.

"Oh, it's nothing! We… have imaginary friends!"

Daichi face-palmed himself while Johei elbowed her.

"Was that the best idea you could come up with?!" He whispered.

" _Well, she's not that far off."_ Loki said.

"Once again, if you are all done here, please leave."

Not wanting to get criticized by the dangerous looking man, the high schoolers quickly walked out the gates.

"Jeez, what's his problem?" Johei asked as they walked out of hearing range.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe he works there? We were probably holding him up. Oh, dammit! I forgot to leave the flowers I had!"

Kazuhiko turned around and started to approach the gate when he came face to face with the man again.

"What do you want now?" The man asked.

"I-I forgot to leave flowers for my parents… You wouldn't mind letting me in for a just a second would you?" Kazuhiko said nervously.

After a few seconds, the man grunted and unlocked the door.

"*sigh* fine. But I'm going to have to come with you."

Kazuhiko quickly made his way back to his parent's graves and placed the flowers in front of them.

"You know, it's a waste of time to get held back by the dead. It's better to just forget them and move on."

Kazuhiko drew back in shock while Tyr felt slightly infuriated.

" _Forget about the fallen?! Who does this man think he is?!"_

Kazuhiko kept a level head.

"What do you mean? We were brought up by our experiences with others. We are everything we are now because of them."

The man shook his head.

"That's a pretty naive way of thinking. But then again, you're still just a kid. You'll learn eventually."

Kazuhiko furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

"And you're pretty stubborn on your thinking. But you know what? I'll be willing to deal with that. You've got some spunk in you, so I guess that this won't be the last time we meet."

The man stuck out his hand.

"I'm Shirou Amenogawa. Call me whatever you like though, I really don't care."

Reluctantly, Kazuhiko shook his hand.

"Kazuhiko Sukima; Right back at you."

Shirou nodded his head and turned around.

"Well, that will be all the experiences we have for today. I'm closing the gate for good today, so don't expect me to be here."

Kazuhiko nodded and suddenly felt a strange yet familiar sensation. A voice started to ring into his head.

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the realization of how precious one's life is_

 _I present to thee, the Death Arcana_

"Hey! You okay there?"

Kazuhiko blinked several times and rubbed his eyelids.

"Yeah, don't worry. I just space out from time to time."

Shirou raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anymore.

"Well, have a nice Golden Week."

Kazuhiko waved goodbye.

"You too."

 _(Evening)_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 _9:40 PM_

" _I'm just saying, I really don't like that man."_ Tyr told Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko was reading a book that he got from Yu a few years ago.

"So you've said for the past few hours. I know, the guy isn't really one of the friendliest people I've known, but he's a social link for a reason. I even checked with Igor on that and he said that Shirou is somebody that can help me with Death arcana Personas."

Tyr sighed.

" _I know. Sorry. So, now that you've packed everything, all you have to do now is wait for tomorrow. What are you reading anyway?"_

"An old book that I had. Something about a girl moving to a town and meeting vampires… Geez, this is almost physically harmful for me to read."

" _Really? Let me read some. It could prove to be an effective training method."_

Kazuhiko left the book open for Tyr.

"Be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you."

 _Ten minutes later…_

" _*huff* How were you… *puff* able to… *huff* read it… *puff* for an hour?!"_

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Well, whatever the case is, I'm never reading that in my life again. How did Narukami-san finish this?"

Kazuhiko felt his suitcase next to his bed filled with his clothes, chargers, and other necessities. His eyelids started to feel heavy.

"Oh well. Goodnight Tyr. See you in the morning."

" _Goodnight Kazuhiko."_

 **Aaaaand we are back! Sorry for the late updates. I had to organize my story so that all the characters fit into it. Also, a very important question, should I, or should I not bring Nanako Dojima into this? I have so many hilarious moments that I could make if she was a main character, but I was planning on making her cameo appear. I'll let you guys decide this. Anyways, please give a warm welcome to my new follower Grothnack! Give Grothnack a big hand, everybody! Also, the new main character will appear in the next chapter, so you know what that means: The aftershow interview will come again once they have their Persona! I hope you all had a fun and safe Hallowen and I will see you in the next chapter!**

 _Loki's Pearls to Dating Women_

Johei: Whoa, look at that girl over there!

Loki: She is showing so much thigh! How is that even legal?!

Johei: All the other guys are drooling over her! I gotta make my move quick! Hey, give me some tips.

Loki: Alright. So, the key to holding a conversation with a girl is to radiate confidence; With that, you can say anything to her. If you show any signs of nervousness, you're as good as dead. I'll tell you what to say.

Johei: Alright! Let's do this!

 _Girl's POV_

Johei: Hey there, good-lookin'!

Girl: Excuse me?

Johei: The name's Johei Shiroka, but you can just call me… What?! I can't say that!

Girl: … Who are you talking to?

Johei: Uh, nobody! So, uh, I know this great place at the mall. Maybe we could grab a bite?

Girl: Um, sorry, I've… already got other plans.

Johei: (Oh crap, I'm losing her!) Uh, wait! (Loki you'd better have something good)

 _Grabs her wrist_

Girl: W-Hey! Let go of me!

Johei: Sorry! Sorry! So, um, maybe the restaurant wasn't a good idea? Maybe we could head to my place and fu- Wait, what the hell are you making me say, Loki?!

Girl: …What?

Johei: Uh, nothing! I didn't mean to say anything! *gulp*

*SMACK*

 _Later…_

Loki: You didn't have the confidence, man. She could have been sucking your di-

Johei: Oh shut up!


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 _April 30, 2021; Friday_

 _(Morning)_

 _6:46 AM_

 _Kyuto High, Front Gate_

" _So, we are going to be transported by this bus to the airport where we will board a plane on our way to Tokyo, correct?"_

Kazuhiko nodded as he put his phone away.

"Right. Now all that's left to do is wait for the rest of the group. Hm? Oh, here they are."

Daichi, Mikan, and Iselin were walking to the gate when they spotted their leader. Smiling, they all waved and grouped together.

"Hello, Kazuhiko. Looks like we're all here and packed up." Daichi said.

Hugin cawed.

" _Indeed we are Master Daichi."_

Munin ruffled his feathers before speaking.

" _Are you sure you packed everything?"_

" _We added some additional items that we thought might help."_

" _There may be more people who oppress water heaters in this Tokyo place."_

" _For safety measures, we packed our entire kitchen appliance army."_

"Wait, is that why my backpack's heavy?"

" _We packed most of the knives but the cutting board insisted that we take it along. That and the blender."_

Daichi sighed as he put down his bag and pulled out various items. Meanwhile, Mikan and Iselin made small talk with Kazuhiko.

"So, where should we go first once we touch the ground?" Mikan asked.

" _Perhaps we can check the art museums in Shibuya? I believe that they have some new additions there ever since the growing popularity of a well known artist."_ Hildr said.

"Oh, right! Who was he again? **Yusuke Kitagawa**? Wasn't he also known as Inari?" Iselin commented.

Kazuhiko checked the tourist guide and nodded.

"Yep, you're right. Says here that he's an up and running artist with a nearly endless palette. I already had plans to head there anyways."

Iselin pumped her fists in the air while Mikan quickly stepped in.

"Wait, hold on. The schedule here says that we will have to attend to Shujin Academy fo the first day, then we get the rest of the week to ourselves."

Iselin groaned.

"Really? Man, I thought this was our time, not some dumb exchange."

Daichi sighed and picked up his bag.

"Stop complaining, we still have a good amount of time to ourselves. We can go to that exhibit tomorrow."

Iselin sighed and crossed her arms.

"Well, whatever. Is there anything else that we need to do?"

Mikan looked at the schedule again.

"It says here that we will be lodging at the Wilton Hotel. Nice place for a buffet and good reviews. We'll be expected to report there everyday before 10 PM."

" _Are there any other services that they provide there?"_ Skadi asked.

Kazuhiko looked up the location on his phone and nodded.

"Yeah. It says here that they recently agreed to a contract with an artificial hot springs company. Seems like a good idea to relax once we get back, right? Uh, Skadi? Are you okay?"

Skadi stayed motionless, then snapped back to the present.

" _W-Wha-? Y-yes, I-I'm fine…"_

Mikan raised an eyebrow and looked suspiciously at Skadi.

"Are you sure?"

Skadi hesitated and whispered to her.

" _Is it okay if I talk to you for a moment in private?"_

Mikan shrugged and walked a few meters from the group.

" _I get the feeling that the sauna won't be the only thing your male friends have in mind at the hotel."_

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Mikan protested.

"Sure, they're guys, but they aren't that bad. I doubt they'll peep. Besides, I've got you if we need some security."

Skadi blinked and a smile formed on her face.

" _I believe that I can talk any measures necessary to protect you from them, correct?"_

Mikan nodded.

"Yes. Only necessary measures. No unfair judgement or anything like that. I'll make sure Hildr will help you too."

Skadi nodded.

" _Right then. I guess there's really nothing to be worried about, is there?"_

Mikan shook her head.

"Nope. Now let's go back. The bus should be here by now."

 _7:00 AM_

"Alright, class. Now behave yourselves; This is an earned privilege that you have. If any of you mess around, you'll be sent right back home, am I understood?" Mr. Ozuma said.

Everybody quickly nodded and piled into the bus. The four were able to get seats next to each other. Kazuhiko helped everyone get their belongings into the shelves on top of their seats and sat back down. Tyr looked uneasy as he floated in place.

" _Kazuhiko, correct me if I'm wrong, but have you forgotten anything?"_

Kazuhiko looked confused.

"What are you talking about? I went over my list before we left."

" _Do you have you dental equipment?"_

"Yes."

" _Your extra sets of clothes?"_

"Yes."

" _Snacks and spending money?"_

"Yeah."

" _Strange."_ Tyr continued.

" _And yet I feel as if there's something missing…"_

Kazuhiko scratched the back of his head.

"Well, if I missed anything, I'll just ask Johei for some of his. You'll help me out, right Johei?"

Kazuhiko turned to the seat next to him.

"… Johei?"

 _Meanwhile_

"HEEEEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Johei yelled as he ran after the bus.

" _Dude, I told you to set an alarm for today!"_ Loki yelled at Johei.

"What are you talking about?! You said that you had the alarm covered!"

" _And you believed me?!"_

"… You know what? Fair point. HEY! STOP THE BUS!"

 _A few minutes later…_

"Yo, thanks dude." Johei said while trying to catch his breath.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"I was wondering where you were. Then, I heard the shouting from outside."

Johei scratched his head.

"Yeah. The running and the yelling really tore my throat. Say, how come you didn't hear me sooner?"

Skadi looked the other way, whistling innocently.

 _(Flashback)_

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!"

Skadi looked at the rear-view mirror to see Johei running to catch up to the bus. Then, she reaches for the volume control on the driver's radio.

"Did the music just get louder?"

 _(Flashback End)_

" _Oh, it was probably because of all the talking that was going on."_ Skadi said quickly.

" _Uh huh. Well at least we got here quickly enough."_ Loki said.

Johei flipped through the schedule and stopped at an interesting page.

"Hey, did you guys know that we're not the only school to participate in this trip? Says here that students from Yasogami High are going to be there too. Same hotel and everything."

Kazuhiko quickly jumped onto the subject.

"Wait, Yasogami High from Inaba? I never knew they were doing something like that. They'd never pull their budget for this."

Johei shrugged.

"Well, they're going here like it or not. Say, didn't you used to go to Yasogami?"

And for the rest of the ride to the airport, everybody was caught up in a conversation.

 _9:00 AM_

 _Airport_

"Okay, everybody walk down the aisle one at a time behind me. You may take some time to look around the airport but report to the designated meeting point in an hour." Mr. Ozuma said.

Kazuhiko and the gang decided to walk around for a place to eat. They hadn't had breakfast yet and were quite eager for a full meal before the flight.

After eating for some time at a ramen shop, they decided to retire to the nearby shops. The boys decided to hit the arcades to pass the time while Iselin dragged Mikan over to the nearby art gallery.

"Oh, come on, man! Quit doing that!" Johei yelled at Daichi.

"You always fall for such a simple move. It's your own fault that I keep hitting you." Daichi replied.

" _Go, Master Daichi! We shall not stand for the tyranny of this man!"_

" _Hit him with a hadoken! Block the oncoming attack! Seize victory!"_

Hugin and Munin continued to spout nonsense while Johei started to get even more annoyed.

"Come on, Loki. Don't you have any support for me?" Johei asked.

" _Do you expect me to break out into a cheerleader costume and pom-poms? Because I'm not gonna do that."_

Johei shuddered.

"Tell me you'll do that if I lose. That's all the motivation I need."

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes and looked around the arcade for a game that caught his eye. His gaze stopped at a sniper battle arcade game. At one of the stations was a boy with brown hair who was playing against the CPU.

"Hey, is it okay if I join you?" Kazuhiko asked as he walked up.

The boy jerked suddenly and turned around.

"Oh, sorry I startled you. Are you okay?" He said.

The boy waved his hand.

"I'm fine, thanks. Go ahead onto the other one. The CPU on this is too predictable."

The boy had green eyes and some light hair growing at his chin. He also wore headphones over his ears but seemed to hear perfectly fine. Walking over to his side of the machine, Kazuhiko picked up the game rifle.

 _10 minutes later…_

"huff… puff… Not even… a single… hit?"

Kazuhiko felt his entire purpose in life slip away. The boy on the other side smiled and scratched his arm.

"Don't feel too down in the dumps. I've played this for quite a while. To tell you the truth, your first opponent probably shouldn't have been me."

Kazuhiko smiled as he put down the game rifle.

"How long have you played this? I mean, that type of shooting really takes some practice, unless you actually shoot guns."

The boy shook his head.

"No, I just spend a lot of time playing games. I'm Felipe Ferreira. You go to Kyuto too, right?"

Kazuhiko nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'm here for the trip that the school provided."

"Oh, nice. You must be pretty smart. I'm also going but for a tournament there. The school agreed to take me there free of charge."

Tyr looked at the boy with some mutual interest in him.

" _I wonder why one a boy such as himself is so dedicate to these games."_

"So, why are you so into video games?" Kazuhiko asked.

Felipe shifted a little.

"Well, to tell you the truth… They're a lot more fun than real life."

Tyr raised an eyebrow, or what was apparently his eyebrow.

" _Why is he lying about something as trivial as this?"_ He said.

Kazuhiko decided that it probably wouldn't be best to ask yet.

"Well, anyways, it's almost time to meet at the rendezvous point. Good luck in your tournament."

Felipe smiled and nodded.

"Thanks! Have a good time in Tokyo too!"

Before Kazuhiko walked off, time began to stop.

"Oh, crap. Not again…"

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _In order to attain a firm grip on the power to expel despair_

 _I present to thee the Emperor Arcana_

"Um, so, you were going somewhere?"

Kazuhiko blinked when he found out that he was staring for quite sometime. Quickly, he replied.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I just space out sometimes. Well, see you later."

Kazuhiko walked off and saw Daichi and Johei squaring off at yet another game.

"Hah! Let's see you beat that score!" Johei said after finishing a round on a shooting arcade game.

"Already did." Daichi said as he walked up to Kazuhiko.

Johei looked over at Daichi's screen.

"W-What?! All those points with just the handgun?! 87% accuracy?!"

Johei slumped on the console while Loki patted him on the back.

" _Eh, don't worry. Give it your best shot next time."_ He said

"Yeah, well, I guess there's always another… was that just a freaking pun?"

" _Wait, did I do that? Yep, I totally did that on purpose!"_

Johei groaned some more while Daichi and Kazuhiko were talking,

"Have any idea where the girls are at now?" Daichi asked.

"I didn't see them in the art gallery."

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe they went somewhere that Mika-senpai wanted to go to. Hey, Johei. Any idea where senpai would be right now?" Kazuhiko asked.

Johei recovered from his depressing state and stood up.

"Um, I think she might go to the music store. She really likes to listen to piano music."

 _Girls POV_

"Ah… that really clears up the mind." Iselin said as she listened to the recorded piece.

Mikan nodded.

"It's not the real thing, but it sounds close enough."

The two decided it would be a nice change of pace if they had their "girl time" away from the guys.

"They guys are nice, but they do tend to get a bit noisy." Mikan said.

Iselin chuckled.

"A bit noisy? Please, they fight about every two seconds. Well, mostly Johei and Daichi, anyways."

" _Don't even get me started on Johei. How he acts towards every woman he meets. And not to mention the outrageous pranks that he pulls even during class."_ Skadi said.

Mikan looked at her with a confused look.

"What are you talking about? That's Loki."

Skadi shook her head.

" _Those two are so alike, it wouldn't be hard to mix them up."_

Iselin sighed from her arm chair.

"Geez, cut the crap. We all know that you have something against him, but it's in the past now. Stop grilling him for that."

" _That's not even the worst thing about him! And if he teaches Johei these things… I don't want to imagine two of him!"_

Hildr put her arm on her shoulder.

" _Skadi, dear, I think it's a bit unfair that you're judging Johei by his Persona. Besides, Loki isn't all that bad."_

" _Then why is he such a pervert? Loki has to play a role in that."_

Mikan shook her head.

"Johei's always been a pervert. It's just how guys are. Some just are more considerate of their actions, but there's nothing wrong with him being like that."

" _B-but! It's Loki! He's just showing you that facade of his just so he can get past your defenses and- Ugh! Don't you realize the signs?!"_

"Oh, there you guys are. It's almost time to leave." Johei said.

Skadi whipped around and pointed an accusing finger at Johei.

" _I see through your tricks, little man! They are not fooling me! Everyone else might believe you, but I know your true nature!"_

Johei blinked a few times before turning to Mikan.

"Is it just me, or is she starting to act more like a femi-Nazi?"

" _Yeah! Call her out on it, dude! Give me five!"_

*BAM*

" _-Agh! I wasn't talking to you! And that's not how you give someone a high five!"_

Skadi readied her fist.

" _I believe that I came in contact with you using all five of my fingers. Maybe I should try again?"_

Loki stood in a defensive stance.

" _Alright then! Go ahead! I've been preparing for this for a long time! Come at me bro… er, sis."_

*CATCH*(or whatever sound that happens when you block a punch)

" _Hah! Didn't see that coming did yo-"_

*THWACK*

" _AAAGHH!"_

" _On the contrary, I did."_

Johei stepped in between them.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. Mika-senpai, can you please get Skadi to stop beating up Loki?"

 _11:47 AM_

 _Airplane_

Kazuhiko sat in his seat looking out the window. They had been above the clouds for quite sometime that Johei had been napping in the seat next to him. Daichi was reading the travel guide to pass the time while Mikan read a book and Iselin was trying to figure out how to use her phone with airplane mode on.

Sighing, he closed his eyes to focus.

" _So, once we touch down, we're gonna be spending time at Shujin academy for the remainder of the day. I wonder why we're going there."_ Tyr quietly mumbled to himself.

"Who knows? I mean, maybe they think this is some cultural exchange or something, but on our vacation time? Seriously?" Iselin said without looking up from her phone.

Kazuhiko continued staring out the window.

"Hey, it looks like we're going under the clouds now. Johei, Wake up!"

Johei straightened his posture when he was nudged in the ribs.

"Agh… What? Are we there yet?"

Johei turned to the window and widened his eyes.

"Holy crap! Look at the place! So much to do here!"

Kazuhiko chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, I think you mean, so many girls here to hit on."

"Of course I do! Why the hell did you think I even bothered to pass that test for?!"

Iselin shook her head.

"Jesus, you really are a pervert. Do you think of nothing else?"

" _He thinks about you two in swimsuits. He's rather descriptive about it."_ Loki chimed in.

Mikan fumed.

"Okay, that's it! Johei, when we set foot off this plane, I am going to give you one hell of an ass kicking!"

" _Why bother to wait?"_ Skadi said.

As Mikan was introducing her fist to Johei's face, Loki laughed.

" _Oh man. He got so carried away with talking about you two, I couldn't help but let my imagination wander. Hey, Daichi, Kaz, get a load of these knockers!"_

On Loki's monitor was a very accurate photo-shop of Mikan and Iselin on the beach in swimsuits. Apparently, Loki had a very active imagination when it came to cup size.

" _So… can this be used as my justification for murdering you?"_ Skadi muutered under her breath.

" _I think I want in on this as well…"_ Hildr told Skadi.

Loki jumped back.

" _Whoa! Hey, ladies, take it a little easy! Heh-heh, I mean, this is all just imagination right? It's not like I've seen them like this before! *gulp*"_

*BAM*

*POW*

*CRASH*

"… _worth it."_

Daichi rolled his eyes as he buckled in his seatbelt.

 _Shujin Academy_

 _1:52 PM_

"All right! Settle down!" The teacher at the podium said.

"You may all call me Mr. Ushimaru. The rest of the day, you will be spending time coercing with other students from this academy. But first, a few words from our leading teacher."

Mr. Ushimaru stepped down from the stand and walked to the side. After he left, a middle aged female teacher came to the stand. She tapped it a few times to check and looked into the crowd of students.

"Hello everyone for Kyuto High School. My name is Sadayo Kawakami and I am one of the teachers here at Shujin Academy."

A couple students started whispering to each other.

"Whoa, dude. She's really a teacher?"

"What a hottie!"

"Man! Look at that rack!"

"Careful, don't let her hear you!"

Johei just stood there looking at her. Kazuhiko looked confused and nudged him.

"So, anything you want to say about her?"

Johei shook his head.

"No, not really. I mean, she's a looker, but she's also a teacher. I'm not about to get myself into something like that."

Loki looked amused.

" _Oho, so you have standards? I thought you took whatever you could get. I mean, you gave a love letter to that Nikano girl. Making out on the first date, man are you a big game hunter!"_

Johei just rolled his eyes and listened to the speech.

"… and with that being said, I hope you all enjoy this time that we have together!"

There was a round of applause from the Shujin audience and they were later given their schedules for the day. After checking, Kazuhiko and Johei had the same classes, Iselin and Daichi were as well, and Mikan had classes with some of her friends.

 _Kawakami's classroom_

"Alright then! So, take your seats, it doesn't matter where, just find one."

Johei and Kazuhiko took seats similar to where their old ones were at Kyuto and looked to the front. An orange haired girl with glasses took a seat in front of Kazuhiko and started grumbling.

"Dammit… I'll get you back for this Inari."

Not wanting to get involved, Kazuhiko remained quite. Ms. Kawakami held attention.

"So, has everyone been seated? Then let's get started. Now, according to the syllabus that the district gave us teachers, I'm supposed to make you do icebreakers and all that crap, but that's kind of clichéd, isn't it?"

The Kyuto students looked a bit shocked at the sudden use of language from the teacher, but the Shujin students didn't seem fazed. The girl in front of Kazuhiko whispered to him.

"She treats us like equals so we can feel more comfortable. Feel free to let you sailor vocabulary loose."

Kazuhiko nodded and looked back to the teacher. She continued.

"So, I've come up with my own syllabus for the day. You students from Kyuto probably haven't had any lunch, so I thought we could go for some at the family restaurant in Shibuya. Kinda letting you guys get the most of your time here. Shujin students, go with some of our guests and let them get a sense of the place. All the other teachers agreed to do this so don't feel like you're breaking the rules."

All the students got out of their seats and started to group up. Kazuhiko and Johei wanted to talk to their Personas for a little bit.

"So, who should we pair up with?" Johei asked.

" _Ooh! Ooh! That chick over there! Can't you see those breasts just screaming to be let out of that shirt?!"_

Tyr looked confusedly at Loki.

" _What are you talking about? I don't hear anything."_

Loki rolled his eyes and turned to Kazuhiko.

" _Well, you get what I'm saying, right? What do you say? Want to go hook up with the hottie over there?"_

But Kazuhiko was too busy looking at a group of four at the side of the classroom. Three of them were third years that came here to talk with the first year with orange hair. Behind the third years was Iselin, Daichi, and Mikan.

"Hm? Oh, there you guys are! We were wondering if you were grouped up with someone yet." Mikan said to them.

Kazuhiko led Johei over to the happy party and spoke.

"You already found a group that quickly? You guys are pretty fast."

Mikan smiled.

"Well, it was mostly these three. They just walked up to me and asked if I wanted to be a part of their group. Before I knew it, we were looking for Iselin and Daichi, and eventually you two."

Kazuhiko looked at the third years. There were two boys and one girl; One of the boys had his hair bleached blond while the other had a darker colored hair that was a tint of blue. The girl's hair looked naturally pale blond and had blue eyes.

"Oh, so are you two Kazuhiko and Johei?" The girl asked.

Kazuhiko nodded and the blond boy walked up to him.

"Nice! So I guess we got the whole party then! The name's Ryuji Sakamoto! Nice and easy to remember, plus the ladies love it!"

The girl with orange hair rolled her eyes behind her glasses.

"In your dreams, bonehead. Mishima-senpai has a better chance of getting a girl than you do!"

Ryuji frowned.

"Hey! That's not nice!"

The foreign girl supported him.

"Yeah, Futaba! Don't be mean to Mishima by comparing him to Ryuji!"

Ryuji turned to the girl.

"Oh, come on, Ann! That was cheap."

The blue haired boy coughed to get their attention.

"Um, so should we get going now? I mean, a lot of groups already left.

They looked around the classroom to see that the entire classroom was empty save for themselves and Kawakami. Ryuji face palmed himself and nodded.

"Yeah, let's drop this and go."

Quickly, the group of teenagers rushed out of the classroom to follow the students heading to the station.

 _2:45 PM_

 _Shibuya District_

"And, here's a great place for trying to get through the crowds. Strange though, it's a lot more crowded than usual." Ryuji said.

Behind them were a bunch of other students from Shujin.

"Oh my god, did you see that guy?"

"I heard he's from Kyuto. Should I go talk to him?"

"What about the other guy? He seems familiar."

"You mean him? Yeah! He reminds me of Akira-senpai!"

Johei heard the whispering behind them and turned around for a quick look.

"Dude! There's a bunch of girls following us! I knew that new person charm would work to our advantage!" He said to Kazuhiko.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." He said back.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on! Look, I'll ask if we can stop for a quick breather, and those girls are gonna be all over us!"

Johei tapped Ryuji's shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, is it okay if we stop for a little while? I want to get some good pictures in."

Ryuji nodded.

"Well, okay. But, I doubt the hoard is really interested in you."

Johei raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? What do you mean by hoard? Ah well, either way, babe city here I come!"

The group stopped and waited for the girls to catch up to them. Johei, feeling confidant stepped up to meet them.

"Hey there, ladies! I thought I heard somebody chattering about me. Which one of you lucky ladies was it?"

The group of girls walked up to Johei…

And walked past him without so much as a glance.

"Wh-what?! Hey! I'm over here!"

Ryuji patted him on the back.

"Like I said, I don't think they were talking about you."

The girls crowded around Kazuhiko and Daichi.

"H-hi there! I'm f-f-from Shujin academy! W-want me t-t-to show you around?" A girl said as she started to burst Kazuhiko's figurative privacy bubble.

"Wow, you sure are a looker, aren't you? Want to know a place where you can have a fun time with us?" Another girl said to Daichi as she linked her arm with his.

"Aaaaaand Shiroka misses the swing. Kinda reminds me of you guys at the beach when you tried to hit on some girls." Futaba said to Ryuji.

Ryuji sighed as he remembered the event.

"Please, don't remind me. I just want to forget about those guys in Shinjuku."

Iselin and Mikan watched the two boys getting drowned in girls with boredom, or at least Mikan was.

"So this is the majority of the girls at Shujin? Man, they really hit on guys a lot, don't they?"

Ann nodded.

"Yep. Believe it or not, one of our old friends got hit on more than those two combined, and he had fake rumors going around that he was some Yakuza member."

Only Iselin stayed quiet, her eyes staying fixed on the girls around Daichi, who seemed to be completely clueless to what was going on.

"Just look at them all! Don't they have a shred of self respect?! And he's just standing there accepting it! At least Kazuhiko's doing something to keep them at bay."

Iselin continued to grumble to herself while Ann talked to Mikan.

"Um, so does she have, like, a crush on the red-head over there?"

"I most certainly do not!" Iselin yelled out at Ann.

"Eek!" Ann yelped as she jumped into Ryuji's arms.

"W-whoa! Ann! At least tell me when you're going to do that! And have you been working out at all ever since the last time we went to the gym?"

Ann conked Ryuji over the head.

"Oh, knock it off!"

They continued bickering with each other, Ann still in Ryuji's arms, until Futaba brought them back.

"Hey, shouldn't we continue with the tour?"

The two stopped fighting and decided to break the crowd around Kazuhiko and Daichi. And with that, they continued on.

 _4:33 PM_

 _Art Museum_

The group of teenagers were walking around, looking at famous paintings that were just put on display. Iselin was quickly running around looking at every painting.

"Wow! Look at this! It says the artist took a journey to Everest for inspiration of this painting! And this one! Every stroke of the brush was calculated to make this scene!"

The others looked quite amused at Iselin's childish side but they soon were also admiring the art on the walls. Mikan was enjoying herself but was wondering how they were able to get in for free.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Ann told her.

"We know a friend here who's showcasing his own piece!"

"Really? Where!" Iselin asked.

Ann led them to a painting and spoke.

"He's been working on this for a little while ever since Akira left."

Iselin started to take in the painting slowly.

"Wait, that part seems familiar… I've seen something like this…"

Iselin squinted at it and asked Futaba.

"Who made this painting? I don't see a nameplate anywhere."

Futaba blushed profusely and touched the tips of her index fingers.

"W-well… It's my boyfriend's…"

Iselin walked up to her.

"And who is this boyfriend of yours?"

Futaba continued to blush and didn't say anything. However, Ann spoke for her.

"Well, they aren't officially dating but his name is Y-"

"Ah, hello you three! I was wondering if you'd be able to make it here on time."

Ryuji smiled as he stood up from the bench.

"Dude! I was wondering how long it'd take until you showed up."

The boy in front of them had long blue bangs that were swept to the side and wore a Kosei High uniform. Iselin stood motionless.

"Y-Y-Yusuke-senpai?!"

Yusuke turned to Iselin and smiled.

"Ah! Iselin-san! How have you been?"

"You never told me you went here! And that you had such a cute girlfriend!" Iselin said as she smiled coyly.

Yusuke blinked and stared at her confusedly.

"Girlfriend? Who do you mean by that?"

Iselin pointed over to Futaba who hid her face in her hands, but could easily be seen blushing a violent crimson. Yusuke walked over to her.

"Futaba? What is the meaning of this?"

Futaba lowered her hands quickly and pouted.

"Goddammit Inari! It's all your fault!"

Yusuke leaped back a few feet.

"M-my fault? How is this even close to my fault?"

"It's because you're such a weirdo! You and your rubbish mentality!"

"What do you even mean by that?"

"Can you two please stop fighting? I'm already up to my ears in homework as it is." A voice called to them from behind.

Kazuhiko turned around and saw two girls walking towards the group. One of them had dark brown hair and red tinted eyes while the other had lighter brown hair and eyes.

"Oh, I didn't know you two were going to be here today!" Ann said.

"Well, we came here on behalf of Yusuke, but we've also got another reason. Oh, are these the students from Kyuto?" The dark haired girl asked.

Kazuhiko nodded and stepped forward, but was cut off by Johei.

"Hi there! I'm Johei Shiroka! And can I just say you look amazing?" He said as he stuck out his hand.

The girl's expression slowly darkened and her fist tightened.

"Uh, dude." Ryuji said to him.

"There are two reasons why you don't hit on Makoto. One: She's already taken; and Two: She's Makoto."

Johei looked confused.

"What do you mean 'she's Makoto'? What's wrong with tha-"

*POW*

" _Huh, I like her already"_ Skadi whispered to Mikan.

Mikan jumped as she heard Skadi's voice.

"Geez, where were you?" She whispered.

" _Oh, just out with everybody else seeing the sites, beating up Loki, the usual."_

Haru looked over to Mikan and widened her eyes.

"I-is that-"

"Yeah. Akira texted us about this. For now, just pretend that they don't exist." Ryuji quickly whispered to her.

Haru nodded and turned to the Kyuto students.

"Hey! Why don't we take them to Leblanc?"

Makoto nodded.

"Yeah. I could go for some of boss's coffee right now."

They all walked to the exit with their Personas in tow.

"G-guys… a little help?" Johei weakly said as he was on the floor.

Loki floated next to him and shook his head.

" _Tsk tsk tsk. Johei, I thought you would have been better than this."_ Loki told him as he floated off.

"Wait! Loki! Help me!"

 _7:43 PM_

 _Leblanc; Front Entrance_

"If you guys need any help around here, talk to the owner and tell him you know us, alright? He'll give you some directions or some curry if you're hungry." Ryuji said to them.

Kazuhiko nodded. He could hear a grunt from behind him.

 _Probably Johei_ , he thought.

"Well then, come on in!" Ryuji said as he opened the door for them.

Inside, was a middle aged man with glasses and a goatee. Futaba ran in and plopped herself in a seat.

"Sojiro! You got any curry cooking right now?"

The man called Sojiro chuckled.

"Yeah, I do. I've got a part-timer working on it right now. You might want to meet him." He said as he walked to the kitchen.

Futaba raised an eyebrow.

"Part-timer? He always does his own work unless…"

Makoto's eyes widened.

"You don't think…"

The Shujin students ran inside quickly to the kitchen to see a raven haired boy with glasses on.

"Oh, hey guys." He said.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Then, Makoto broke the silence.

"A… A…"

" **AKIRA**!" Everyone shouted as they tackled the boy to the ground.

"And don't you forget the mighty Morgana!" A black cat said on the bar table.

Kazuhiko widened his eyes when he saw the cat.

"D-don't tell me… that cat just… talked?" He slowly said.

The Kyuto students behind him were also on the verge of letting their jaws drop.

"Don't worry. You're not going crazy." Akira told them as he got up.

Readjusting his glasses, he walked over with a few plates in his hands.

"It just means that Igor was right. You guys are Persona users. Now, how about some curry?"

 **Sorry that this took so long to make, guys. Plus the length of the chapter is ridiculously long, but I tried to fit everything in here. The cast of Persona 5 is introduced! Oh, these guys are the best, only seconded to the P4 cast. Anyways, these guys will play a very minor part in this fiction; Not social links, mind you, so don't get me started on them joining the party. I decided to set this one year after the start of Persona 5 so not a lot has changed. If you want to know what happened so far, Yusuke, Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba have been in Highschool, Makoto and Haru have gone to the same college, and Akira and Morgana have come back for unexplained reasons. I'll make sure to explain to why I've got them here all together in the next chapter. Plus, I wanted to add this in so I wouldn't bore you guys too much with another filler chapter. Oh yeah, about the new party member showing up in this chapter, really sorry about that. I swear that they will be here in the next one, though. Until next week! Bye!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Passing the Torch; An Old Friend; To the Beach!

 _April 30, 2021; Friday_

 _(Evening)_

 _7:50 PM_

 _Leblanc Cafe_

Kazuhiko was sitting in a booth alone with a raven haired boy on the other side. The boy, who was called Akira Kurusu, was calmly sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying some curry without saying a word. Soon, Kazuhiko couldn't talk the silence anymore.

"Alright, so what do you have to do with this?"

Akira continued to sip his coffee and closed his eyes to savor the aroma. He let out a deep sigh and put down the cup. Kazuhiko was getting impatient now.

"Um, hello? Can you hear me?"

Akira continued as though nothing happened. Kazuhiko started to get more tense until Tyr stopped him.

" _Kazuhiko, there's no need to be angry. He's merely trying to size you up. I've seen it before."_

Akira nodded.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to do. Although, I must say, you still have a ways to go." He said with a slight grin on his face.

He reclined back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"You're probably wondering how I know about your little group and how you all are Persona users. Well, to tell you the truth, I am one as well."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin.

"That would have been my assumption from the start, but something tells me that you're different from us."

Akira shook his head.

"No, no, I'm not that different; You're just a new generation of Persona users, or at least Igor tells me so."

" _Igor?"_ Kazuhiko thought

" _So he's a wild-card like I am"_

Akira finished his coffee and placed the cup down.

"Well? Aren't you going to have some coffee or curry? You must be pretty hungry after a long trip. I know curry isn't the best thing to have after settling down, but believe me; Sojiro's recipe is the best."

"And don't you forget it!" A voice called from the kitchen.

" _He's probably talking about the old man."_

Reluctantly, Kazuhiko picked up a spoon and scooped some curry into his mouth. Immediately, he felt his taste buds ignite. Desperately, he took his coffee and sipped it. The taste put out the fire on his tongue and replaced it with a smooth and soothing texture. Akira laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I felt too when I first tried his spicy curry. But if you have it as many times as I have, you'll get used to it."

Kazuhiko wiped away the tears and coughed.

"So, when did you guys get your Personas?"

"About over a year ago. We had to go through some crazy shit, but it's over now. Although, I feel the strange urge to start a dance crew…"

Kazuhiko, not sure whether he was being serious or not, continued either way.

"Well then, where is your Persona?"

" _Right behind you."_ A voice said from the booth behind them.

Kazuhiko jumped and looked back at a large guffawing figure. It was dressed in a gentleman's coat and had a top hat. It's face was a visor but showed a sinister face behind it. On it's back was a pair of black feathered wings. Akira chuckled.

"Well, I guess I have to apologize for that. He gets his mischievous nature from me, right Arsene?"

The Persona nodded.

" _Yes, I do. But then again, my tips ended up helping you get Makoto's heart."_

Akira scratched the back of his head.

"I can't argue with that. But anyways, back to the point."

Akira's face changed into a serious look. Kazuhiko tensed up.

"Let me warn you; Igor may be back to his normal position as the fusing master of the Velvet room, but you shouldn't think that everything will go to plan."

Kazuhiko looked confused, as did Tyr.

"What do you mean?"

Akira sat back and took off his glasses.

"What I'm saying is, don't assume that everything is going to turn out peachy keen. When I did, I was betrayed and got arrested. And, just when you think it's over, trust your instincts to tell you that it's not. Believe me, this is how things get screwed up. Igor doesn't want another Minato Arisato case."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow. He had heard that name before, but he wasn't sure where.

"Who's Minato Arisato?"

Akira waved his hand.

"Nobody you need to know. Just keep in mind that if you don't follow what I'm telling you right now, things might turn out really bad. Just trust me on this."

Kazuhiko, seeing that he didn't have a choice, sighed and nodded.

"Alright. I understand. I'll do my best."

Satisfied, Akira smiled and stood up. He picked up their plates and mugs.

"Good. Oh, and the next time you pop into the Velvet room, there might be a little gift I left you. Be sure to check it out."

Kazuhiko nodded and stood up from his seat. He walked over to the booths that had his friends and the rest of Akira's party. He was glad to see that they were getting along .

"So, you were facing off against a god?! How is that even possible?!"

"Believe me when I tell you this, but I was able to defeat it single handedly! Never underestimate the mighty Morgana!"

"Shut up, cat! We all know that is was Akira!"

"You trying to start something, bonehead?"

"Bring it on!"

"Ryuji! Morgana! Stop it! Both of you!"

"Geez, alright."

"Certainly Lady Ann. I'll get you later for this Ryuji."

Makoto checked her watch.

"Oh, it's that time already. We should probably get you guys to the hotel" She said as she picked up her bag.

Ryuji nodded.

"Don't worry, Makoto. We'll leave the cafe for you two. Come on, let's go guys."

Makoto blushed as the group left, including Sojiro, leaving her alone with Akira. With a mischievous smile, Akira put an arm over her shoulder.

"Well then." He whispered into her ear.

"I guess it's just the two of us for now."

In the back sat Arsene and Anat.

" _*sniff* he makes me so proud…"_ Arsene said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Anat humphed in annoyance.

" _Don't forget that this only happened because I let it happen."_

" _Or is it because you fell for me?"_

" _Do not test me, Arsene Lupin! I am not in love with you!"_

Anat marched away as Arsene smiled.

" _Or so she denies."_

 _8: 32 PM_

 _Wilton Hotel; Lobby_

"Man! Look at this place!" Johei said as he checked around the hotel.

Mikan smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, it's a great place. Really good reviews here too."

Daichi shook his head.

"Although, we stick out like a sore thumb in this place. The only other customers here are rich people and long nosed politicians."

" _Long nosed?"_ Hugin asked.

" _Brother, do you see any politicians here with long noses?"_ Munin cawed.

Daichi slapped his forehead as Iselin put her hands behind her head.

"Well brace yourselves, cause this isn't even the best part! We should hit the hot-springs right next door once we're settled in!"

Kazuhiko scratched his chin as he nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I could use a good soak after everything we went through today. Boy do I need it…"

The Personas seemed curious about the hot-springs and felt the need to ask about it.

" _By the way, what are hot-springs anyways?"_ Tyr asked.

Loki looked at him with shock.

" _What?! You don't even know what that is?! Alright then my friend, a hot-spring is-"_

" _A place where you do not go peeping on women!"_ Skadi said as she aimed her bow at Loki.

" _Agh! What are you doing that for?! I didn't even do anything mischievous today, I swear!"_ Loki said from behind Tyr.

" _I'm not worried about Tyr or the crows. However, I am worried about you feeding the boys information and making them get ideas! So, as a responsible Persona, I am keeping watch tonight to keep the girls safe!"_

Loki started to protest.

" _What?! All night?! But isn't that a little unfair? I mean, the guys had a rough day today, too. Shouldn't they get some time in the hot-springs as well?"_

Skadi mulled over the thought.

" _Alright then, but only when I've confirmed that the girls are done and are safe and sound in their rooms!"_

Hugin and Munin jumped in.

" _But this is a violation! We demand to have full services!"_ Hugin cawed.

" _To look upon a woman's body is to admire beauty! You cannot take that from us!"_ Munin followed.

" _We demand our rights!"_

" _We shall not take this tyranny!"_

" _Fifty-four forty or fight!"_

" _I am the captain now!"_

" _What did you guys pick up from Kamu Susano-O?"_ Hildr asked.

" _Look, Loki. She's letting the boys use the hot-springs. Isn't that what we wanted from the start?"_

Loki sighed and nodded.

" _Alright. We'll take. Looks like we can't win everything."_

 _Later…_

"Man, this is so relaxing!" Johei said as he soaked in the warm water.

Daichi nodded.

"I'll have to agree with you on this. The water itself is at the perfect temperature, yet something about it just makes it so invigorating."

" _So this is what a hot-spring feels like."_ Tyr said in astonishment.

They couldn't feel the water, but just the heat was enough to have an effect on the Personas.

" _To think that Skadi missed out on this just to watch us, I actually kind of feel sorry for her."_ Loki said as his monitor began to fog up.

"Well, we should enjoy this as much as we can. They don't have hot-springs of this caliber back in Nuzoko." Kazuhiko said.

Johei waved his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't be such a killjoy, Kaz! We've got an entire week of this. I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, winter isn't here yet. It'll feel even better once it gets colder."

Kazuhiko nodded and closed his eyes as he began to let his skin absorb the water.

 _10:22 PM_

 _Wilton Hotel; Buffet Restaurant_

The five took a table for themselves near the buffet lines and took turns getting food. While waiting, The boys decided to talk amongst themselves.

"Well then, I think we've had a pretty good first day despite going to school." Daichi said as he leaned on the table.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Plus, we got to meet some more Persona users and their Personas."

Johei laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, they seemed like a friendly bunch. Although the Makoto girl really hates my guts now; Both her and her Persona."

Loki shook his head.

" _Jesus, Johei. I mean, when you hear that a girl is taken, you don't hit on her! Either her boyfriend'll sock you when he sees you or she'll sock you herself."_

Johei rubbed his forehead, which had formed a bump quite some time ago.

"Probably should listen to you on that one."

"Hey guys, we're back. You can go get some food now." Iselin said.

"Sweet!" Johei said as he jumped from his seat.

The girls started chatting with each other as the boys walked over to the lines. Picking up trays, they bumped into some other students.

"Wait, is that you Sukima-san?"

"Hm?" Kazuhiko as he turned around.

"Holy crap! It is you!" A boy said as he got Kazuhiko into a headlock.

Johei turned around.

"Huh? You know these guys, Kaz?"

The boy grinned brightly.

"Yeah! We were in the same class last year! I'm Yuuta Minami, one of the students from Yasogami."

Daichi looked over and saw Kazuhiko in a headlock. Looking over, he grabbed a carving knife and pointed it at Yuuta with a dark look in his eyes.

"Let go of him immediately." He said in a low tone.

Yuuta, who saw Daichi, quickly let go of Kazuhiko.

"Whoa, whoa! Put down the knife dude! There's nothing wrong here! I'm just a classmate from his old school!"

After the dispute was settled, they started to talk.

"So, how are things going for you Minami-kun?" Kazuhiko asked.

Yuuta smiled.

"Oh, things are okay. I ended up getting Kashiwagi again but the soccer team's going alright. Although, there are a lot of guys just being asses and leaving after practice"

Yuuta sighed as he scooped some fried rice onto his tray.

"But, enough about me, what about you? I see you've got some good friends already." Yuuta said as he nodded to Johei and Daichi.

Kazuhiko smiled.

"Yeah, things have been going okay so far. Although, I am in a little situation…"

Yuuta nodded and patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, I getcha. You're talking about the suicides there, right? Crazy stuff."

Kazuhiko smiled. He was glad to have somebody from Inaba as company, but there was one pressing matter he had to know.

"Oh yeah, who else made it onto the trip?"

Yuuta gave off another one of his grins.

"Mostly people from the same class. But get this! Mai's here as well! I am so gonna ask her out later this week!"

Yuuta started to ramble on about his plans for a date that Kazuhiko felt like he wasn't going to get the answer he had hoped for. Deciding to get back to the table, Kazuhiko excused himself and rejoined with Daichi and Johei. Together, they walked back to the table and sat down.

"So, what did you guys get?" Mikan asked.

Daichi stifled a laugh as he looked at Johei.

"Well, Captain Rejection here got himself a nice serving of a slap to the face."

Johei rubbed a bright red hand mark on his cheek.

"That's the last time I'm getting any pickup lines from you." Johei said to Daichi.

Iselin rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? Haven't you had your fill of rejection yet? You're obviously coming on too strong. Like, way too strong."

Mikan looked over to the lines.

"By the way, who did you hit on?"

Johei picked up a fork and a steak knife and cut into his steak.

"Some Yasogami girl. I didn't get her name, but she's got long brown hair and brown eyes."

Kazuhiko perked up his attention while Johei continued.

"Well, why do you ask, senpai? It's not like my love life's that interesting."

Mikan scratched her head.

"Well, it's because I think she's coming over here."

Johei chocked on a piece of steak while Kazuhiko turned around.

"So you are here! Thank goodness, I thought I took that test for nothing!" Nanako said to Kazuhiko.

 _Later…_

"Really? You're transferring to Kyuto?" Kazuhiko asked.

Nanako smiled and nodded.

"Yup! Dad's getting a transfer here because he got promoted, so I guess I'm going to be spending quite some time here."

" _Dude, Johei, you need to use this time while you still can. Win back her heart!"_ Loki told him.

"Yeah… no. She's got quite the arm. Plus, her dad's a police chief now so I don't want to get involved with that."

Loki continued to try to talk Johei into hitting on some more girls while Iselin and Mikan started a conversation with Nanako.

"We got here pretty late so we haven't been able to move into our rooms yet. You think I can bunk with you guys?" Nanako asked.

Iselin pumped her fist.

"You kidding? You'll fit in with us just fine! Let's go talk to your teacher about it after dinner."

Mikan felt someone tapping her shoulder and realized it was Skadi.

"Hm? Yes?"

" _Sorry for butting in like this, but I'm getting a strange vibe from her."_

Mikan sighed and brushed her off.

"Skadi, please. You discriminating the boys, I can handle, but if there' anything against her that you don't like-"

" _No, it's not that."_ Skadi said.

" _I have complete faith that she's a good person, it's just that she has this air around her that's… I don't know how to put it…"_

Mikan nodded.

"Well, whatever it is, just drop it for now. We're on vacation, plus she's going to be a new student at Kyuto; Let's make her feel welcome."

" _Okay then. I'll stop bothering you."_ Skadi said as she retreated.

Johei checked his watch.

"Oh shoot, the buffet's almost closing. Let's get to our rooms while we still can." He said as he stood up.

Everyone agreed and headed to the stairs. Kazuhiko stopped for a moment and caught up with Mikan and Iselin.

"Oh yeah, good luck with Nanako's teacher." He told them.

Mikan looked confused as did Iselin.

"What are you talking about? How bad can it be?"

 _Later…_

"Ah, so you three want to group up with one another? Well, it's quite alright. I mean, skanks like you have to stick together after all. You have no chance with any men, so I guess it's okay for you to all be together." Ms. Kashiwagi said.

 _Even later…_

"Told you guys she was bad." Kazuhiko said.

Mikan, Iselin, and Nanako were gripping their hands into fists as a dark aura surrounded them.

"Skanks? Is that what she sees us as?"

"No chance with men? Like she's had any luck, hence she's called Miss Kashiwagi."

"A couple years ago, she was in a beauty pageant for the school's culture festival. She didn't even receive any votes."

Kazuhiko and the boys slowly stepped back in fear.

"How about the first act we do together as friends is plan her demise?" Nanako suggested.

The other girls agreed and walked back to their room. Daichi was stricken with fear while Johei turned pale.

"Man, why do we have to run into such scary girls?" Johei asked in a quiet voice.

The boys walked back to their room and crashed for the night.

 _May 1, 2021; Saturday_

 _6:27 AM_

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"mm… what is it now?"

Johei opened his eyes and got up. Daichi rubbed his eyes awake while Kazuhiko was brushing.

"Kazuhiko, why are you up this early? We're on vacation."

Kazuhiko rinsed his mouth and spat into the sink.

"That's exactly why I'm up. We only have so much time here so we should get to know it while we can."

Daichi, who couldn't argue with that logic, nodded and got up to wash his face.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

The sound at the door grew impatient and Johei decided to check the through the peephole.

"What? Why are they here?"

He opened the door and was run over by the girls.

"Attention everyone! We have decided that we cannot allow such laziness during the vacation!" Mikan yelled.

Daichi covered his ears and looked annoyed at the girls.

"A little louder please, I don't think the people next door heard you."

Kazuhiko looked over to them and nodded.

"Well, looks like I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Nanako beamed and held up a giant swimming tube.

"So get up you lazy boys! Wake up and smell the roses!"

Daichi looked quizzically at the swimming tube.

"Why do you even have that? Unless…"

Iselin nodded with ecstasy.

"Quite a sharp eye you have there my fine feathered friend."

"I wear a hawk mask one time and this is what I get."

"We have been making plans last night and have found a perfect spot to go to!"

All three girls took a deep breath and said all at once, "THE BEACH!"

Johei could have sworn that the entire room shook when they said that. Daichi was prepared beforehand and covered his ears once again. Kazuhiko, being Kazuhiko, seemed unaffected by this.

"Geez, we just told you to tone it down a bi- What are you wearing Kaz?"

Kazuhiko was dressed in a beach shirt and shorts along with a pair of sunglasses on top of his head and a cooler in his hand.

"Oh yeah, sorry guys. When you nodded off last night, Nanako came here and told me what they were planning so I decided to get ahead pack some stuff."

Johei got back to his feet and made his way to the restroom.

"Of course you did. Well, since everyone else is ready, give me and Daichi some privacy to wake up. Meet you guys down in the lobby."

The six of them agreed and went their separate ways.

 _In the Lobby…_

Kazuhiko sat in an arm chair after buying drinks from the vending machine.

"Alright, this should be enough. Anything else we need?"

Iselin shook her head.

"They have a lot of beach vendors where we're headed so we only need to bring money."

"Hey guys! We're ready!" Johei called out.

The two of them wore swimming trunks, sandals, and bright colored T-shirts.

Mikan giggled.

"Johei, why are you wearing so many cameras?"

Iselin looked in his direction and laughed.

"What the- ahahahaha! You look like the textbook definition of a Japanese tourist!"

Only Nanako didn't seem convinced.

"Wait a second. What are you going to use those cameras for?"

Johei whistled nervously.

"What, these? Um, nothing really. Maybe for the scenery and memorable moments, you know?"

Nanako narrowed her eyes.

"Memorable moments, huh?"

Kazuhiko, noticing that there was about to be conflict, jumped in.

"Um, so how are we going to get there? Do we have to buy tickets."

Mikan nodded.

"Don't worry. I booked us some tickets with a bus. We're supposed to be at the stop to get there."

Kazuhiko suddenly seemed worried.

"And what time are we supposed to be there?"

"7:30"

"And what time is it now?"

"… OH CRAP! WE GOTTA HURRY!"

In just under 30 seconds, the group made it to the bus stop on time.

"Dude…" Johei panted.

"We would have made the track team proud…"

They boarded the bus and took their seats, although, because of the lack of space, they were paired off…

 _Mikan and Johei POV_

Johei checked the brochure of the beach that they were going to.

"Whoa, that'd make a great picture for scenery! We should set camp somewhere near there so we can get a photo!"

Mikan looked at the picture and nodded.

"Yeah, wait, what's that thing over there?"

Mikan pointed to a small cave in the background. Curious, she took the brochure from Johei.

"The witch's mouth cave is a long, dark, and winding cave near the seaside cliff that has multiple exits and is easily navigable. Although one may find a simple exit at any time, this cave has been infamous for 'tests of courage'? What's that?"

Johei laughed.

"Ahaha! Good one Mika-senpai!"

When he realized that Mikan looked clueless his face turned serious.

"Wait, you really don't know? Man, we're going to have to do that to show you what it is. Hey, maybe we can get the others to join in as well!"

Mikan seemed unsure but agreed to do so.

 _Iselin and Daichi POV_

An awkward silence filled the air. The two had taken the back seats due to there being no more vacant spots. Iselin looked out the window while she shifted her position every so often while Daichi calmly read the brochure. Iselin attempted to start some conversation.

"Ahem, so, you ever been to the beach before?" She asked.

Daichi shook his head.

"The majority of my life was spending time in the Mirror Dimension. The closest thing there was to the beach was a bathtub."

Iselin nodded and slowly realized that the conversation was being lost.

"U-um, how do you think it'll be like?"

Daichi shrugged and continued.

"No idea. How is it usually for you?"

Iselin remembered back to when she went to the beach.

"Not so good. I always got sunburned no matter what I did."

Daichi took interest in the topic and closed the brochure.

"Wait, sunburned?"

Iselin nodded.

"Yeah, I'd always get sunburned. That's why I'm wearing this."

She pulled out a giant floppy hat that could have covered 3 people. Daichi scooted back.

"You… are really prepared for this aren't you?"

He shook his head and reached into his bag.

"The brochure clearly says here that in order to prevent sunburns, apply lots of sunscreen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start the first few layers." He said as he took off his shirt.

Needless to say, Iselin did not look away.

 _Kazuhiko and Nanako POV_

The two were chatting as if they were still neighbors in Inaba. There were casual topics such as how school was going and how family and friends were, then there were other topics.

"So, you got any love letters yet?" Nanako asked.

Kazuhiko pulled back in alarm.

"Wait, what?"

Nanako smiled and spoke.

"Oh, come on! Don't make me believe that you didn't have any first years crushing on you already! Come on! How many letters?"

Kazuhiko turned to the window to mull over his thoughts.

" _Alright, I know that I didn't get any, but what should I say?"_

"Um, are you alright?"

" _What are my choices? I could say: Tons of them; I haven't gotten any…; or Probably more than you."_

"Kaz?"

" _If I tell her the truth, she'll probably overflow my locker with them, but if I lie, then she's gonna go on a rampage. The last one's just an absolute dick move. Argh! What should I choose?"_

"If you didn't get any, it's alright."

 **Needless to say, everything gets awkward. Let's skip right to the beach.**

"Ah! Finally, we're off that stuffy bus!" Johei exclaimed as he set the cooler down.

Everybody was behind him as they took in the scenery of the beach. It was fairly occupied, in fact, some of the other students from the hotel were here as well. The group quickly found a spot and agreed to go to the locker rooms to change. The boys ended up being the first to finish and waited for the girls at the beach towels. Johei sighed as he continued to drink from his can of Madbull.

"Christ, are those girls even done yet?"

Daichi shrugged.

"Maybe they're having trouble finding a vacant locker?"

Kazuhiko turned back to the locker room exits and saw some people coming out.

"Oh, there they are."

The boys turned to the locker rooms and found themselves staring at the sight before them.

Mikan caught sight of them and covered herself with a towel, Iselin and Nanako doing the same.

"W-what are you staring at?!" Mikan said as she glared at Johei.

Johei scratched the back of his head while smiling.

"Well, you did want to go to the beach, right? This should have been expected."

Skadi glared daggers at him and started to draw her bow.

"Hey, don't single me out on this! I'm not the only one thinking that, right?" Johei said as he turned to the guys for support.

Unfortunately, Kazuhiko and Daichi were already covering up.

"My, the weather looks great today…" Kazuhiko mumbled to himself as he looked towards the ocean.

Daichi continued to use up the bottle of sunscreen. Without any other choice, Johei started to run like hell for the water.

" _Hey! Get back here you mortal pervert!"_ Skadi yelled as she ran in pursuit of him; Mikan and Loki following close behind.

Kazuhiko chuckled as he watched them run into the water and Johei already swimming. He felt a presence next to him and turned to see a smiling Nanako.

"Come on! We can't let them have all the fun!"

And with that, Nanako ran to the water with the comical pool tube over her head, Kazuhiko in pursuit. Daichi and Iselin, however, stayed behind to avoid getting sunburned. They sat on lawn chairs, Daichi still applying sunscreen. Iselin, who was getting tired of the smell, took off her sunglasses.

"Geez, you know that's already enough, right? You already look like a white person, for God's sake!"

Daichi glared at her and capped the bottle.

"You do realize that I require complete sun protection. I've been in the Mirror Dimension for so long that my skin is really sensitive. You could use a few layers yourself; That hat isn't going to do you any good."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Well how about a contest, feather brain? First to get a sunburn loses!"

Daichi presented a face of confidence.

"You know what? I think I'll take up your challenge! In fact, if you lose, I won't even offer you my bottle of sunscreen!"

"Deal!"

Kazuhiko, who was in the water, looked at the beach and saw the two sprawled out.

"Must be peaceful to sleep on the beach, huh?" Nanako asked.

Kazuhiko squinted.

"Man, they're not even moving. How can they fall asleep so quickly?"

 _Meanwhile…_

" _Mwehehehe."_ A certain Persona giggled.

Loki was underneath the water, enjoying the view. He was further away from the beach that the gang was at and was taking in the view of all the women in bikinis from the lower half.

" _So, which one should I go for first, Tyr?"_ Loki asked.

Tyr, who was next to him and standing up, cast a confused look.

" _What are we even doing here, Loki?"_

Loki emerged from the water.

" _Why do you even ask that question? We're at the beach! Bikini babes with every turn! The real question should be 'Why aren't you enjoying this?!'"_

Tyr shook his head.

" _I don't think we should take advantage of these women just because we are invisible to them. Think of what Skadi would do if she caught you."_

Loki waved his hand aside.

" _Relax! She won't be able to see under the glare of the water. Speaking of which, get under so she won't get suspicious!"_

Tyr, rolling his eyes, dove under the water to join his perverted friend.

" _See? She won't even see us! Ooh, what do we have here? I'm going for that babe over there!"_ Loki said as he swam towards a person.

Tyr recoiled in shock.

" _Wait! Loki! Stop! Don't do it to her!"_

Loki looked back.

" _Oh come on! Don't be such a light weight! Look, she'll just think it's a wardrobe malfunction! See? Here we go!"_

Loki popped off the top of a girl's swim wear and heard loud shrieks.

" _See? Nothing happened!"_

" _Loki… I swear if that's you…"_

Loki looked up and saw Mikan and Skadi glaring down at him.

"… _um, it was him?"_

Tyr was long gone.

" _Well, shit."_

 _(Afternoon)_

 _5:45 PM_

The sun began to set and the party of six was relaxing on the beach. The others who were playing in the water found out what Daichi and Iselin were doing around 3 o' clock and dumped them into the ocean to end the competition. Now, they were all sprawled out on the sand.

"Now this is what I'd call a vacation!" Johei said as he finished a can of Cielo Mist.

Daichi nodded. He looked over to Hugin and Munin who were having a conversation with a seagull.

" _Hey! That's ours!"_

 _Squawk!_

" _Well… our names aren't on it…"_

 _Squawk!_

" _B-but that doesn't mean it's yours!"_

 _Squawk!_

Daichi rolled his eyes and covered his eyes with a hat.

"Well, it's getting late. Shouldn't we start to pack up now?"

Iselin shook her head.

"The bus doesn't come until 7:30. We've still got a lot of time."

That's when Johei had a dawn of realization.

"Wait! We can still do a test of courage!"

Nanako wasn't amused.

"A test of courage? What are you, four?"

Johei shook the comment aside and continued.

"No, there's this place near here. The brochure said it was an ideal spot for tests of courage! We should go right now while we still have time!"

Johei pushed himself up and started to rouse everybody. Eventually, the group conceded to Johei's demands and walked over to the Witch's Mouth cave.

"Alright, so here's the deal." Johei started.

"Personas will have a five minute head start to prepare to scare the shit out of us humans. We'll go in pairs. Daichi and Iselin, Kaz and Nanako, and lastly, me and Mika-senpai."

Nanako raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait, what? What are Personas?"

Kazuhiko stepped on Johei's foot for good measure.

"OW!"

"What Johei means is that some of us will take turns to scare the others in the cave, right Johei?"

Johei rubbed his toes and quickly nodded.

"Alright then, first up is Daichi and Iselin!"

 _Daichi and Iselin POV_

"I can't believe he talked us into doing this." Iselin muttered.

Daichi rolled his eyes.

"Let's just stay together and walk this out. I doubt he really has something scary planned out."

Just when he said that, a TV screen turned on. Iselin glared at Johei.

"Now look what you did."

" _Beware all that venture into this cave. A long time ago, a young couple ventured here and met their untimely demise. They met an old man who was raving mad, and his broken television set. When they sat down to join him, he threw them both into his TV and watered these very stones with their blood. Be warned! Turn now while you have the chance!"_

And with that, the monitor turned off. Iselin and Daichi both looked blankly at the darkness before them.

"Is it just me?" Daichi asked.

"Or did that just sound really lame?"

Iselin shrugged.

"Beats me. I was just thinking of how bad Loki's acting was."

 _Johei and Mikan POV_

"So, you scared yet senpai?" Johei asked.

Mikan glared at him and crossed her arms.

"I am not going to hold onto your arm if that's what you were planning."

Johei sighed and waved the flashlight around.

"Well, I don't see anybody yet. Maybe their still getting organized?"

Then, they heard a sanshin playing in the background.

"Oh crap." Johei muttered to himself.

" _You have entered a cave, soaked with the blood and bones of those before you."_

Tyr appeared from the darkness with a light blue aura around him.

" _This was an ancient battlefield where both sides suffered many deaths, but little did they realize that the true enemy they faced against was not of the living, but of the haunted souls within this cave…"_

Tyr disappeared from sight, even when Johei shined the light on him.

"… Well that was kind of frightening…" Johei said to himself.

Mikan was clapping her hands.

"That was really well played out. Nice effects, Tyr!"

" _Why thank you!"_ Tyr called from an unseen place.

Johei sighed and shook his head.

"And that just ruined it. Could somebody please bring back the horror experience?"

" _You would be wise to stay close."_ A voice said from behind them.

"Eek!" Mikan shrieked and held onto Johei's arm.

For a few moments, there was an awkward silence, then Johei started to smile.

"'Eek'? My, my, that's kinda cute senpai."

" _I swear, if you're doing what I think you're-"_ Skadi started

"AAIEEE!" Johei screamed and ran for the exit.

Mikan laughed and turned to Skadi.

"You know what? This is pretty fun!"

 _Kazuhiko and Nanako POV_

Kazuhiko and Nanako were walking through the cave, arms linked. Nanako clinged close to Kazuhiko and looked around.

"So, what did everyone else do? I'm just curious is all."

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Oh it's nothing really. Just your classic tests of courage. I wouldn't be so worried if I were you." Kazuhiko said.

In the back of his mind, he thought, "And I've got a level three courage status. Nothing could startle me for the time being."

They could hear wild panting in the background.

"And here they come."

Johei, who was dressed in ragged clothes, ran up to them.

"P-please! Help me!" He called to them.

Then, Loki came out of nowhere and picked up a random rock and sent it smashing on the wall next to Kazuhiko. Nanako shrieked and held tightly onto Kazuhiko's arm.

"Please! Help!" Johei called out.

This time, Johei was being carried by Loki and was acting as if he was being smashed into the walls.

"Oh my God." Nanako said as she covered her mouth with shock.

"How are they doing this?"

 _Later…_

It took quite a while, but Nanako and Kazuhiko made it to the exit of the cave.

"So, I guess that was a success?" Johei said when he saw Nanako cling onto Kazuhiko's arm.

Nanako blushed and quickly let go of him. Mikan, being the good person that she was, slapped Johei in the back of the head for good measure. Daichi rolled his eyes and checked his watch.

"Well, it's almost time for them to pick us up. We've already got everything packed up so let's get going."

Everyone nodded and picked up their belongings. They reached the bus on time and took their seats, although this time, Nanako insisted on sitting by herself.

"Yeah, I need to make a call to my dad, so if you guys could give me a little privacy, that'd be great."

Kazuhiko nodded and smiled.

"Alright. Also, tell him congratulations on his promotion for me."

Nanako beamed and took her seat near the back of the bus. Kazuhiko took his seat next to everyone else and laid his head back.

"So, was that a great experience or what?" Iselin asked them.

"It was interesting. Although I wish I could have seen Johei scream like a little girl." Daichi said.

Johei cringed and crossed his arms.

"That was only once. Besides, if you see Skadi threatening your physical health, you would have ran for dear life as well."

Loki was standing beside Johei in the aisle and nodded.

" _Yeah. I mean, it was just an accident but she just had to call me out on it."_ He said as he massaged his monitor.

Skadi crossed her arms and glared at them.

" _Well you two deserved it. Even if it wasn't Mikan, I still would have punished you for it."_

Loki smiled back at her.

" _Well, like it or not, I'm kinda used to it now. So I probably won't feel any remorse when you beat me."_

Skadi humphed and turned away from him. Daichi looked over to Hugin and Munin and spoke to them.

"So, how was the beach for you two?" He asked.

Hugin and Munin glared out the window.

" _I swear, commoners these days."_

" _We had to defend our belongings from these white feathered plebeians"_

"Um, so you protected our stuff from seagulls?"

Hugin nodded.

" _Indeed, and what vocabulary they have as well."_

" _One could say that they cussed like a sailor."_

"Probably because they did hang around sailors." Iselin muttered.

Kazuhiko turned over to Tyr and asked him how he liked the experience.

" _Well,"_ Tyr started.

" _I did quite enjoy the test of courage. The water was pretty soothing if I do say so myself, although I am looking forward to going back for the hot-springs."_

Kazuhiko nodded, then turned back to Nanako's seat.

"Say, Tyr." He started.

"Is it just me, or does it seem more than just a coincidence?"

Tyr looked confused.

" _What do you mean?"_

Kazuhiko tilted his head towards Nanako.

"I mean her. Nanako and I have been friends for some time, but I can't shake the feeling that this is just by chance. I mean, I'm glad that she's coming to Nuzoko, but isn't it kind of strange that she just shows up out of nowhere?"

Tyr scratched his chin and shrugged.

" _Right now, I can't say. But, what's important now is to make sure that we find the people who are starting all of these suicides. Let's just make sure she doesn't become a target."_

Kazuhiko nodded but still looked over to Nanako with an uneasy look. At last, he decided to snooze for a little bit and leaned back in his chair.

 _Nanako POV_

"Yeah… Kazuhiko's here too… don't worry, I'll be fine… Do they have what?… Oh, yes. Definitely, they do have Personas… Don't worry, Naoto-senpai, I'll get to the bottom of this. Tell big bro I said hi."

*beep*

 **Oh lordy, that was pretty long. Terribly sorry for how long this took to post, it's just that I had a lot of homework over the break. That and family coming over too. So, I relented and made Nanako a character in this, but what is she hiding? How can she see Personas? These questions will have to wait until a later time. Anyways, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and good deals for Black Friday! Dangstaboy, out!**

 _Pictures of the trip_

Johei rushed into the hotel room with something in his hands and a wide grin on his face.

"Guys! You won't believe what I got!"

Kazuhiko and Daichi looked up from their game of cards and stared at what he had in his hands.

"Um, didn't Mika-senpai confiscate that before the beach trip?" Daichi asked.

Johei nodded.

"Yeah, she did, but Loki has this awesome ability!"

Loki who was right next to him started to smile smugly.

" _Indeed I do. So, when I pulled off Mikan's unmentionables, I quickly took a photo with my own functions. Don't ask."_

Kazuhiko looked worried.

"You know what? I've got a bad feeling about this. Leave me out of it." He said as he walked out the door.

Daichi followed and prepared to the close the door behind him.

"Yeah, me too. I don't want to get caught by any of the girls. Have fun."

Johei and Loki were alone in the room with confused looks.

" _Ah, let them go. They'll know what they missed out on later."_

Johei's face brightened.

"Yeah! Now let's see those pictures of Senpai!"

"What pictures?" A voice asked behind them.

Johei and Loki turned around to see Mikan and Skadi.

"… um, vacation photos?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

A Date to Remember

 _May 4, 2021; Tuesday_

 _(Morning)_

 _8:22 AM_

 _Wilton Hotel; Boys Room_

"Ah, vacation's almost over." Johei groaned as he packed his clothes into his suitcase.

Today was to be the last day they could stay in the hotel so all the students were expected to pack up early and be ready to leave the next morning. Kazuhiko was setting an alarm when Johei started to mope.

"It's no use being sad about it, Johei. That's not gonna change anything."

Johei hid his face into a pillow.

"Yeah, but I can't help but think about it. It just makes me sad that way."

Daichi marched up and snatched the pillow off of Johei's face and smacked it onto his stomach.

"Oof!"

"Then do something while we still have time. Besides, girls don't find that very attractive."

Loki popped out of the wall and nodded.

" _And believe me, you need all the luck you can get right now."_

Johei sighed and sat up.

"Alright, alright. But what should we do today? I mean, we've been pretty good at planning things that we've already done everything on our list. We're done packing for tomorrow, so what else can we do?"

Just when Johei said that, Kazuhiko's phone rang.

"Hold that thought. Hello?"

"Hey, you got a minute?" A voice said on the other side.

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"Um, yeah, I do. Anything you need, Kurusu-san?"

He heard chuckling on the other side.

"You don't have to call me that, you know? Look, just meet me at Leblanc later today. I've got something that should help you out. Plus, this is something to keep between us wildcards, so just you, alright?"

After hanging up, Kazuhiko faced everyone else.

"Well, I need to go somewhere right now so you guys talk with the girls and figure out something."

The other boys nodded and went their separate ways.

 _Leblanc Café_

 _12:30 PM_

Kazuhiko waited on a bar chair for Akira to show up. He was sipping a cup of coffee and chatting with Sojiro, who happened to be the only one there at the time.

"After all these years, I still can't understand what that cat is saying." Sojiro told him.

"Just makes me suspicious whenever he's meowing at me in the room."

He heard the door open and turned to see Akira with a bag over his shoulder.

"Ah, you're back. Well, Golden week's almost over so you should pack up whenever you've got time."

Akira nodded.

"Don't worry, Boss. I'll do that when I come back. First things first, though. I need a quick chat with our new wild card."

Kazuhiko payed Sojiro for the coffee and got off his stool. Akira tilted his head towards the door and walked out.

"So, I assume you know what the Velvet room is." He said to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, I can buy and fuse Personas there. What about it?"

Akira walked into an alleyway and checked behind him.

"Well, the Velvet Room changes for each guest. Today, we're going into my version."

He stopped and opened a cage door, motioning Kazuhiko to walk through.

"Well, you'll see what mine is in a second."

After some slight hesitation, Kazuhiko walked through the cell door. What he saw was an inmate's cell with the door opened.

"Whoa, so your version is a prison?"

Akira chuckled.

"Yeah. Kinda suiting for the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I was told that I was a 'prisoner of Fate'."

In the middle of the room was a desk and an old man with a long nose.

"Ah, welcome back Master Kurusu, Master Sukima." Igor said with his pleasant voice.

Kazuhiko did a quick search around the prison and looked at Igor.

"Say, where's Alexandria?"

Igor chuckled.

"Don't worry. I left her back at your Velvet Room. This place only is Lavenza's territory, so I cannot allow her here."

Akira stepped forward.

"We're here for that traditional thing."

Igor chuckled once more and nodded.

"Ah, indeed you are. Very well then, if I may have both of your hands please."

The two Wildcards stuck out their hands to Igor and felt a slight tingling sensation. A tarot card sprouted from Akira's hand and landed into Kazuhiko's. After a few seconds, it flashed and disappeared. Dumbfounded, Kazuhiko looked at his palm.

"What… was that?"

Akira rubbed his wrist.

"Just handing off the burden. You see, we Wildcards can fuse a number of Personas, but there is always one Persona that triumphs over all others."

Igor nodded.

"The World Arcana. The greatest feat that a Persona User can accomplish."

Akira looked at Igor quizzically.

"What do you mean? The Universe is the greate-"

Igor quickly cut him off.

"I do not wish to grant anyone that power anymore. True, the Universe arcana is the most powerful, but it comes with a great price."

Akira closed his mouth.

"I will tell young Master Kazuhiko here in all due time. Now, however, it would be best if he didn't know of it at all."

Akira stayed silent for a few seconds then nodded.

"Alright. Well, that's all there is to it. Let's go."

Kazuhiko, who had been confused the entire time, simply nodded and followed Akira to the exit.

 _What does he mean by the Universe arcana?_

Kazuhiko shook off the questions he had in his head and walked through the frame of the exit.

 _(Afternoon)_

 _4: 31 PM_

 _Wilton Hotel; Boys Room_

"Hey, maybe we could ask the girls out on a date for dinner!" Johei suddenly said.

Daichi looked up from his phone.

"You do realize that we have a restaurant that serves free food for us at meals, right?"

Johei shook his head.

"No, I mean like at a different restaurant! We could ask them out and we'd go at different times! We could even go take the skyline before the date!"

Daichi looked back at his phone.

"Forget it, Johei, we've still got a curfew. And on top of that, do you really think any of them would go out with us?"

Hugin and Munin flew in through the window.

" _Master Daichi, if my brother and myself may say so boldly"_

" _We think that the girls would be willing to go with you!"_

Daichi sighed and sat up.

"That, and I'm not really in the mood for a date. Besides, you have the problem of any of the girls going with you."

Johei immediately looked crushed.

"Oh… yeah… right…"

Loki popped his head through the window.

" _Man, was that an awesome prank spree we went on today, boys!"_

Johei stared at Loki with a confused look.

"Um, what have you been doing all day?"

 _Flashback_

"Alright, goodbye Honey!"

"Have a good day at work!"

"… Hey, why'd this just lock?"

 _Somewhere else_

"Oh, hey! A yen bill!"

 _(grabs for the bill but is suddenly pulled away)_

"Wh-Hey! Get back here!"

 _Somewhere else_

"Alright! Nice job! Very funny! Where's the camera?"

 _Flashback End_

" _Nnnnnnnnnnothingggggggg"_ Loki said while avoiding eye contact.

Johei sighed.

"Well, I really don't care anyways. It doesn't help my problem in the least."

Loki floated next to Johei with a curious face.

" _Ooh, is there something wrong? What happened?"_

Daichi didn't look up from his phone.

"He wanted to ask the girls out on a date. He can't, though, because of tose pictures he took at the beach."

Loki scratched his (chin?) and showed a picture of Sherlock Holmes smoking a pipe.

" _Aha! Round of applause please, 'cause I've got an idea!"_ Loki suddenly said.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Please, spare us the torture."

Loki tisked Johei and sat next to him.

" _Don't worry, it's absolutely fool-proof! About those pictures, I actually still have a picture of Mikan with some of her swimsuit off!"_

Johei quickly put a chair behind the door.

"Shh! Shut up! Do you want us to get killed?!"

Loki ignored him and continued.

" _In addition to my abilities of processing images, I can also post this. I'll only delete it if some demands are made."_

Johei's gears began grinding, until finally, he got the point.

"Loki… you're an absolute genius!"

Loki shook his head pompously.

" _No, there really is no need to thank me."_

Daichi sighed and got up.

"Well, good luck with that, then. But there's no way you're getting me in on this."

He was about to open the door when he was suddenly blocked by Johei.

"Oho no! There is no way you're walking out on me like this, dude!"

Daichi rolled his eyes and tried to get past Johei.

"Just hold on! How about a bet? If you get a kiss from your date, you'll get something nice!"

Daichi successfully wrestled Johei out of the way and opened the door.

"Are you serious right now? There's no way I would do something like that. Besides, blackmailing Mika-senpai into going into a date? Is chivalry dead to you?"

As Daichi walked out, he was blocked off by Loki.

" _Okay my fine feathered friend. If you're going to be all chivalrous, what say to this?"_

"Why are you still calling me tha…"

On Loki's monitor screen was a picture of Iselin in the women's changing room… needless to say, without the top of her bikini.

" _Oh, I wonder what would happen if this was posted on social media under an obvious account name, say, Daichi Amasawa."_

Daichi hung his head.

"I really hate you guys…"

The door opened and Kazuhiko walked in.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

Johei quickly pounced on Kazuhiko holding him in a choke hold.

"Hey, old buddy, old pal! What say to you for a date with Nanako?"

Kazuhiko was on the ground trying to break out of the hold.

"Ack! Alright! I give! Uncle!"

 _Later…_

"So, we're all on a bet?" Kazuhiko asked.

Johei nodded.

"Yup! First to get their first kiss from the girl will come up with a penalty for the rest to do."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin.

"Ah, then in that case, I've already won."

Johei gawked at him.

"H-how?!"

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Gotcha!"

Johei sighed.

"Dude, don't scare me like that. Anyways, let's all come up with some penalties."

After a few minutes, the boys came together to discuss their ideas of punishments.

"So I was thinking that the losers have to run through the halls with nothing but their boxers on!" Johei said.

Daichi shook his head.

"Are you kidding me? What are you, four? You had to have come up with something other than that."

Johei put the paper into the cup and shuffled them all around.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Besides, if I lose, I don't have to do something so serious. What did you guys put in their anyways?"

The other two were reluctant to say.

"Well, you'll see if it gets picked." Daichi said.

Kazuhiko nodded in silence.

Johei picked out a folded slip of paper and put it on the table.

"Alright, so this will be it. I have no idea what it is, so it isn't biased. Now, let's all swear that if we lose, we will all do this no matter what."

Daichi and Kazuhiko both said their oaths as well as Johei. When they were done, Johei grabbed for the paper.

"So, here it is. The moment of truth. What punishment will it be this time?"

"Hold on." Daichi said.

Johei looked towards him.

"What if nobody is able to do it?"

Johei scratched his chin and shrugged.

"Well then, we'll all have to do it. We didn't complete the challenge so it's just right that we all have to do it."

Johei opened it and read it while Kazuhiko thought to himself.

 _Well, it's not like mine was going to be picked anyways. Either way, those two will probably be suffering from their own punishments._

Johei read the paper and gawked.

"D-Daichi! Why would you make us do something so horrendous?!"

Daichi laughed.

"Well, this is my revenge for you blackmailing me into doing this. It's only fair."

Daichi took the paper from Johei and his eyes grew as wide as dinner plates.

"W-w-what?!"

Now, Kazuhiko became worried.

"What is it?"

Daichi handed the piece of paper to Kazuhiko.

"T-this is… ten times worse than mine!"

Kazuhiko read the paper and gasped.

On the paper read: _The losers will have to walk into the girls hot spring area while Mikan, Iselin, and Nanako are in it… or die trying_

Tyr snuck a peek at the paper and seemed equally surprised.

" _K-Kazuhiko… I hope you have a plan to get the job done…"_

Loki was too busy laughing his head off.

" _Oh… oh my god! That is hilarious! Don't worry. I'm here to make sure you guys don't back out!"_

Johei turned to Loki with an angry face.

"Loki! You traitor!"

Daichi started to walk out of the room.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We made an oath. Now let's fulfill it before there's no more time left!"

 _In the lobby…_

 _6:43 PM_

 _Kazuhiko's POV_

"So, what's with this so suddenly?" Nanako asked.

Kazuhiko began to sweat uncontrollably.

"Um, it's nothing! Really! Just figured that this is our last day here, we could have some time together?"

Nanako narrowed her eyes.

Kazuhiko thought in his mind, _Crap, she's not buying it._

"Okay."

Kazuhiko opened his eyes. Nanako was smiling widely.

"Well, let's get going! No time to wait bestie!"

 _Daichi's POV_

"Oh, really? I was just planning on going there!" Iselin said.

Daichi wiped the sweat off his brow.

 _Great_ He thought _At least I'll be fine._

"I was actually thinking of making a painting there, maybe get some inspiration!"

 _Johei's POV_

"Hey Mika-senpai!"

Skadi was already on full alert and prepared for defense mode.

" _Halt, Intruder! State your business!"_

Johei raised his hands in alarm.

"I-I was just wondering if you wanted to go somewhere on our last day?"

Mikan sighed and rolled her eyes.

"After you and Loki were acting like complete perverts? I'd rather not."

Then, Loki stepped in.

" _So, you see here? I have some fine pictures of you. I'll only delete them if you go on a date with Johei here."_

Skadi drew her bow while Loki quickly recovered.

" _A-and if you hurt me at all, I'll post it all over Tokyo!"_

 _Daichi's POV_

The two of them were at the park near the lake. Iselin's eyes were already sparkling.

"Wow! No wonder Yusuke-senpai recommended this place!"

Daichi smiled to himself.

 _Perfect! This really sets the romantic mood. Now, to set the stage…_

"Yes… I finally have my idea… Daichi, get in the boat!"

"D-huh?"

Iselin pointed towards a nearby rowboat at the dock.

"I just came up with a brilliant idea! Row the boat so you're in the middle of the lake and reach towards the sky with one arm! What a masterpiece, I shall call it: 'Eternal Isolation'!"

Daichi sweat-dropped.

 _Could have named it something better…_

 _Johei's POV_

The two of them were on the skyline, overlooking the city below them. Johei took in the view.

"Wow, it really is a great view down there, isn't it?"

Mikan grumbled.

 _Now, the only thing that would make this romantic was if I didn't blackmail her,_ Johei thought to himself

" _So… read any good books lately?"_ Loki said as he jumped to the window.

" _I swear if you are doing this so-called 'hitting on' to me, I will break every bone in your body."_ Skadi said.

 _And if you two weren't here!_

Mikan shook her head.

"So, how much longer for this date?"

Not seeing any other choice, Johei scooted closer to her.

"Well…"

" _Aha! I see what you're doing there!"_ Skadi yelled and drew her bow.

Johei jumped back.

"W-what?"

" _I should have established some ground rules on this date. Anything beyond the first base is prohibited!"_

Johei sweat-dropped.

 _I'm dead…_

 _Kazuhiko's POV_

Kazuhiko ordered 2 cups of coffee from the café. Sojiro chuckled.

"And you came back with a girl, huh? Well then, I'll let you have the place to yourself."

Akira walked out with Morgana and flashed him a smile. Soon, an awkward silence filled the air.

"S-so! This is a pretty nice place, huh?" Nanako said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, I actually found it out earlier this week. The owner and I know each other well enough that he treats me like his son."

Nanako smiled.

"Well, he seems pretty nice… leaving for us to be alone and all…"

The silence returned and Kazuhiko decided that he had to make his move.

"So, Nanako… how much longer until you'll be able to go to school in Nuzoko?"

Nanako thought for a moment.

"Um, maybe a week after break's over. Don't worry, I'll definitely catch up with you in academics!"

Kazuhiko smiled.

"Oh really? But what about last years finals?"

Nanako blushed furiously.

"Don't you dare say anything about that!"

Nanako quickly trapped Kazuhiko in his both and pinched his cheeks.

"Ow! Okay, I'll stop teasing you!"

Nanako, who was now satisfied, let go of his cheeks and smiled triumphantly. Then, they realized how close they were…

"U… um…" Nanako said as she looked down at the table while blushing.

 _Now's my chance!_ Kazuhiko thought.

He looked into Nanako's eyes.

She looked into his.

Their faces came closer until…

Nanako quickly pulled away.

"S-sorry. It's just… I made a promise to you that I would give you a year to figure out who you would be with."

Kazuhiko's reality cracked and broke.

"So, let's stay friends until then, okay bestie?"

 _9:32 PM_

 _(Evening)_

 _Wilton Hotel;Boys Room_

The three boys stayed silent for a very long time until Johei spoke.

"So, anything?"

Everyone else shook their heads.

"How come?"

"Friend-zoned." Kazuhiko said.

"She wanted to paint me for her art." Daichi said.

"Skadi."

Everyone heaved out a heavy sigh. Johei stood up.

"The girls and their Personas are out in the hot-springs right now, even Skadi. We can get in and get out quickly. Hopefully, they won't hurt us too bad."

The boys looked at one another and braced themselves. They went over to the hot-springs and stood right in front of the door to the girls division in their towels. Johei had his hand on the door and looked back at the other two.

"Ready?"

Kazuhiko and Daichi nodded.

Johei reluctantly slid the door open and ran in.

"What?!"

"Hey! Get out!"

"Aah!"

"You assholes!"

The boys quickly jumped into the water and made their way to the door on the opposite side.

"Alright, once we're there, we're safe!" Johei said to them.

They swam as fast as they could and reached for the door until they were stopped by a large figure.

" _I have been waiting a long time for this, Johei."_ Skadi said as she drew her bow.

All three boys gulped.

"Mika-senpai, now!" Iselin yelled.

"Execute them!" Nanako exclaimed.

Mikan looked as if she was on the warpath and something formed on her wirsts.

" _ **Mabufula**_!"

 **So, hey guys! How are you all doing? Sorry for the late post, I need to study for midterms right now, so I won't post until winter break comes here. Anyways, I'd like to introduce some new followers to this story: ShiranaiAtsune and Komaeda Yuujin! You guys are the best! Thank you so much! Be sure to review if you can. Now, I made this for fun because I'm still planning on the layout of this story. I have a basic idea of the end, but I want to tie all the characters around this and how they all end the true boss. I won't put any spoilers in here, rest assured. As for Mikan being able to use Skadi in the real world, do't ask. If you're so puzzled, wonder how Mitsuru was able o "execute" you in Persona 3 if you were caught. Anyways, I will see you all in a few! Bye!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 _May 6, 2021; Thursday_

 _(Morning)_

 _Kyuto High; Front Gate_

Kazuhiko massaged the side of his face. The bruise that he felt when his face hit the floor during the trip still hurt, but he couldn't complain; He brought it upon himself. Tyr looked at him with a hint of interest.

" _Something wrong?"_

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"No, it's nothing."

Tyr averted his eyes and nodded, then turned to the school.

" _Well then, it would be best not to get distracted now. The Harbingers could make their move at any second, and you don't look like you've been staying in shape."_

Kazuhiko looked at the ground. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of shame in himself. Of course, he had been on vacation, but it wasn't a reason to slack off. Further more, the demands on the Mirror Dimension app had steadily grown during the vacation. He made a mental note to fulfill them after school.

"Hey, Sukima-senpai!" A voice called from behind him.

Kazuhiko turned around and met the smiling face of Filipe.

"Oh, how's it going? Did you do well in the tournament?"

Filipe laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Unfortunately, I got second place. I was beat by this kid named Shinya Oda; Pretty tough but was a god sport about everything."

Kazuhiko smiled.

"Well, second place isn't all that bad. I mean, you still beat a bunch of other competitors."

Filipe nodded.

"Well, the bell's about to ring. How about we head to class?"

Kazuhiko let Filipe go ahead while he stayed at the gates.

" _So this boy is the Emperor arcana? Please excuse me for being impolite, but I honestly don't see the reason."_

Kazuhiko waved his hand at Tyr.

"Right now, it's a bit too early to judge. Let's talk to him some other time; I'm sure it'll make sense as we move along."

 _3:22 PM_

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim_

 _27th floor_

" _ **Garula**_!"

Loki sent a giant tornado towards a shadow which sucked it up into the vortex.

"Now Mika-senpai!"

Mikan nodded and cast a Bufula spell towards the tornado turning it into a frigid winter storm. The shadow inside froze and hit shattered into pieces when it hit the ground.

"Alright! How many was that now?" Johei asked as he supported himself with his spear.

Kazuhiko thought for a moment, then spoke.

"I think… 32 in total?"

Daichi shook his head.

"34, Kazuhiko. You forgot to count the Gemini boss 2 floors down."

Kazuhiko shrugged and picked up the loot on the ground.

"You have to wonder, how can you sell this stuff without the buyer being suspicious of how you got it?" Iselin asked.

Kazuhiko sighed and shook his head.

"That is a question I have asked myself numerous times."

 _Flashback_

"So, what is this?" The shop owner asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko looked at the golden cracked shadow mask on the desk and sweated.

"Um… an old family heirloom?"

The shop owner eyed him suspiciously, then smiled.

"Ah, whatever. I'll buy it!"

 _Flashback End_

"I swear, he's just playing with my mind…"

Daichi brought his rapier up and walked over to the hallway.

"Well, let's just make it to the safe room on the next floor and cal it a day, yeah?"

Everyone nodded and readied their weapons.

 _Later…_

Johei, Mikan and Iselin had all left. Kazuhiko and Daichi were still in the safe room, trying to stock up the supplies and materials that they had found for the day.

"Thanks for staying behind, Daichi. I really needed the help."

Daichi smiled.

"It's nothing. Just want to do my part around here."

Daichi finished putting away the shadow materials in the box and sat on the chair.

"Ah, finally done. That was a good work out."

Kazuhiko nodded and rested his back on the table.

"Well, we were getting rusty after Golden week. Wouldn't hurt to be ready."

Daichi stared at the door out into Niflheim and frowned.

"What? Something on your mind?" Kazuhiko asked.

Daichi nodded. He sighed and got up.

"Sorry if I seem a little pushy, but could we go shadow hunting some more? Just you and me?"

Kazuhiko threw him a confused look.

"Uh, why?"

Daichi looked down on the ground.

"Well, remember when you told me that I should strive to redeem myself?"

Kazuhiko, who vaguely remembered saying something similar, nodded.

"I want to do it this way. Get rid of those shadows so nobody has to get hurt anymore. It's fine if you don't want to go-"

Kazuhiko quickly picked up his sword.

"Forget about going by yourself, Daichi. You might last a little while by yourself, but you need someone there with you to tell you when to stop."

Daichi smiled.

"Thanks. Alright, so let's start on the 10th floors."

 _30 minutes later…_

Kazuhiko began to breath deeply. He was completely covered in sweat and had trouble just staying upright.

" _You're pushing yourself over the limit, Kazuhiko. Try to take a quick break every now and then."_

Kazuhiko wiped the sweat from his forehead and pointed ahead.

"Try telling that to him."

Daichi was fighting 4 shadows at once by himself. He fended off one with his rapier and cast a Mamudo spell to finish the rest.

"Huff… puff… got… to do more…" He said between breaths.

Daichi was about to run ahead to confront more shadows until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, let's give it a rest for today." Kazuhiko told him.

Daichi hesitated, then spoke.

"Just… a few more… I can keep going…"

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Just take a look at yourself, Daichi. You're running yourself completely ragged. Hugin and Munin don't look too good either."

Daichi looked at his two Personas which were resting on the ground.

" _Don't worry Master Daichi!"_

" _Give us a little time. We'll be ready in a moment."_

Tyr intervened and picked up the two crows.

" _No, you are not. You push yourselves any longer and you'll be more of a hindrance than a help."_

The crows hung their heads and sighed.

" _Very well."_

" _We shall retreat for now."_

Daichi looked as if he were about to protest.

"What? No, we still need to do more!"

But his Personas didn't listen and started to make their way to the safe room. Daichi's voice faltered, then stayed silent.

"I… I still don't feel forgiven yet…"

Daichi fell to his knees and stared at the ground.

"There's still too much that needs to be repaid."

Kazuhiko sat down next to him and hugged his knees.

"Why do you want to do this so badly, Daichi? We can still do more some other day. It's not like it's the end of the world."

Daichi let out a deep breath.

"It's just… I feel like I can hear their voices… All of them… they keep telling me that I'm not done yet… I haven't repaid my sins."

He clasped his hands onto his head and yelled.

"Why won't you leave me alone?! I'm doing my best!"

Daichi began to break down in tears, speaking between his wails.

"I just… *sniff* want to make things… r-right. *sniff* I never wanted … *sniff* to make people suffer."

After a little while, Daichi was able to wipe away his tears and calm down.

"I-I'm sorry for pulling you into this, Kazuhiko. I should have been more considerate of your time."

Kazuhiko shook his head and waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you had the willpower to stop."

As they made their way to the safe room, Kazuhiko stopped.

"Oh yeah, how about the next time we hang out, we do it in the regular world?"

Daichi smiled and nodded.

"Yeah… sure."

 _(Evening)_

 _Matsuhito Hotel, Lobby_

Kazuhiko plopped himself on the couch of the lobby and heaved out a great sigh from his tired lungs. He had worked himself harder than he ever had before, but he seemed content with his actions.

" _You know, Kazuhiko"_ Tyr started

" _You can always just take tomorrow off from training."_

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? But weren't you the one who said we should get back into shape?"

Tyr smiled then replied.

" _Yes, but you're all sore from the extra workout. Let your body overcompensate and build those new muscles."_

"Didn't we learn that in Phys Ed?"

" _Yes, you did. I sometimes pay attention in class as well."_

Kazuhiko shook his head and smiled.

"Then it looks like I'm going to have to step up my game in class too."

The two chatted for sometime until some more customers started to come in. The ringing of the desk bell was soon heard.

"Hey! Boy! Get over here!"

A teenager in a bellhop uniform quickly ran to the desk and saluted a man that looked like the manager.

"Yes sir, Takai-sama!" The boy said.

The man named Takai smiled and pulled over a cart.

"About time to make yourself useful around here. Get these people's luggage over to their rooms on the double!"

The boy bowed quickly and pulled the cart towards the elevator.

"Excuse me! Coming through! Luggage cart behind you!"

Kazuhiko and Tyr looked at the hardworking boy with interest.

"Seems like there's a lot more commotion today, isn't there?" Kazuhiko said.

Tyr nodded.

" _Although, I get the feeling something is about to happen..."_

At that very moment, the cart hit the edge of the carpet and sent the luggage tumbling over.

"W-whoa!"

The boy landed on the floor along with the luggage.

"Owww…"

Heavy footsteps were heard.

"And what the hell just happened now?!" Takai said.

The boy quickly got onto his knees and bowed his head to the ground.

"I-I'm very sorry Takai-sensei! I'll clean this up at once!"

Takai crossed his arms and flared his nostrils.

"What are you, some kind of retard?! Pick this up immediately! And add another hour to your shift!"

After Takai left, the boy scrambled to get the luggage back onto the cart.

"O-okay… so room number 207 is over here… oh crap, where's the master key card that I had?"

Kazuhiko picked up the card and walked over to the boy.

"Hey, is this it?" He asked.

The boy's eyes widened and he broke into a smile.

"Yes! That's it! Thanks so much!"

Kazuhiko looked at the rest of the luggage on the ground and picked up a suitcase. The boy hesitated to speak until Kazuhiko cut him off.

"Nothing wrong with a little good deed, is there?"

The boy smiled and shook his head. The two stacked the luggage quickly and the boy was soon pushing the cart towards the elevator once again.

"Thanks, but you didn't really have to do that. I could have handled it myself."

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Like I said, there's nothing wrong with a good deed."

The boy smiled and pressed the elevator button. As the elevator was being called down, the boy hesitated, then turned around.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience! Please, allow me to make it up to you!" He said while bowing.

Kazuhiko recoiled for a moment, then turned to Tyr.

" _It doesn't seem like he's going to back down at all. Let's just listen to what he has to say."_

Kazuhiko shrugged and turned to the boy.

"Well, it's alri-"

"Thank you! My name is Ichiwa Kawahara. If you ever need anything, call the front desk and they'll send for me!"

Kazuhiko was once again rendered speechless.

"… um, okay. Nice to meet you Ichiwa-san."

The boy straightened his back and replied with an appreciative smile. He stuck out his hand and Kazuhiko reluctantly shook it. Then, a blinding flash appeared.

"Y'know, I'm actually starting to get used to this…"

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the power to pick oneself back up from despair_

 _I present to thee the Tower Arcana_

"It's very nice to make of your acquaintance!" Ichiwa said, his smile not faltering for a second.

"Hey! What are you doing, boy?! Get back to work!" Takai yelled from the front desk.

Ichiwa recoiled then quickly turned around.

"Well, see you later!"

As the doors closed, Kazuhiko waved to Ichiwa. Tyr, however, was eying the manager.

" _I am really starting to hate that man…"_

Takai seemed to be all cheery with the customers and the staff, but only Ichiwa was the one to get on his bad side.

"Probably, something to make note of later. For now, there's nothing we can do but wait until this story unfolds. C'mon, let's go to our room."

 _?_

"I believe we've let them have a nice long rest, correct?"

There were three hooded figures seated at the table; at their sides were two of their own underlings, that is, except for one of them.

"Yeah, this should be enough. Not only that, but they seemed to have gotten back into their combat life. I say we start the plan now!"

The lone hooded figure watched the recording of Kazuhiko's group attentively.

"You've been silent for quite sometime Shiroe-nii. Is something the matter?"

Shiroe kept his eyes on the video feed as he spoke.

"Their current number in their group is 5. The traditional number of Persona users is 8. I say we let them build their forces before we get serious."

"Are you kidding me?! We were just about to start having some real fun and then you drop this on us?" The figure with a young voice said.

The said figure quickly received a smack on the head from Shiroe.

"Raise your voice against me again and I will personally make sure that foul tongue of yours never makes another sound!"

Shiroe made his way back to his seat and regained his composure.

"Although, I believe that in order for them to start gathering more members, we may have to intervene."

Shiroe turned towards the young hooded figure.

"If you really are raring to go, I don't see why I should hold you back."

Shiroe waved his hand to everyone else to leave until it was just the two of them.

"Your eccentricity is truly a force to be reckoned with, so I have made the decision to let you be their first actual challenge."

Shiroe stepped over to the desk and picked up a photograph. He handed it to the hooded figure who scanned it with his eyes.

"This guy? What makes you think he's gonna be part of their group?"

Shiroe stepped towards the door.

"I have taught you this before, haven't I Mijuku? Never judge a book by it's cover."

After Shiroe left, Mijuku looked at the picture once more.

"Hmm… White hair, light brown eyes, common facial features, shouldn't be too hard to find."

He turned over the picture and glanced at the name. Then, he put the picture back on the table.

"Alrighty then." He said as he fiddled with his Kusari-gamas.

"Let's have a little fun, **Yoichi Miryoku**."

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

 _May 7, 2021; Friday_

 _(After School)_

"Alright, there's the bell. Stay safe on your way home and remember that you still have notes for tonight." Mr. Ozuma said.

The classroom quickly emptied out until there was only Kazuhiko, Iselin, Johei, and Daichi left; Mikan entered the classroom later.

"So, I believe you all know why I've asked you all to come here right now." Kazuhiko said.

Everyone nodded at the same time. Kazuhiko pulled out his phone.

"A new person has been targeted by the Harbingers of Death; A person named Yoichi Shiryoku. Today, I've decided to let us have a little rest, but tomorrow will be when we start our mission. Clear up your schedules as well as you can for tomorrow so we can head into the Mirror Dimension."

And with that, the meeting adjourned, but they stayed in the classroom for sometime.

"Say, Kaz, there's something that I've been thinkin' about" Johei said.

Kazuhiko turned towards him.

"And that is?"

Johei scratched the back of his head.

"Well, it's kinda childish, but you know how they're called the Harbingers of Death and all, right? Well, what about us?"

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

Johei sighed.

"Don't make me spell it out, dude. I mean, what should we call ourselves?"

Kazuhiko blinked several times before he fully digested what Johei had said.

"… are you being serious right now?"

Daichi stepped into the conversation.

"Johei… I have only one thing to say to you…"

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Thank you, Daichi! At least I know you won't say anything sensele-"

"We should be called the Reflection Team!" Daichi suddenly shouted as he broke into a pose.

He knelt on one knee and crossed his arms into a "v" shape. Hugin and Munin posed on either side of him as well.

"…"

Kazuhiko was rendered speechless yet again.

"See, I told you; Neo-Featherman." Iselin whispered to Mikan.

The two girls broke into laughter while Johei yelled at Daichi.

"Absolutely not! Since when do you make the decisions here?!" Johei said.

"Well, it's not like you're very qualified for this kind of job."

"Hah! I could easily come up with a better name than that!"

Johei stepped into the front desk struck another pose.

"Behold! The power of… The Investigation Team!"

Kazuhiko sweat-dropped while Daichi continued to criticize him.

" _Kazuhiko… I get the feeling that the name is already taken."_

Kazuhiko buried his face in his hands.

"Believe me, it already is."

Suddenly, Daichi and Johei stopped fighting.

"You know what? Let's have our leader decide on the name!" Daichi said.

"I second that!" Johei replied.

"Hey, Kaz. What should our name be?"

Kazuhiko put his fingers to his temple and thought for a moment.

"Well, this entire group was created through the tragedies that caused other people to commit suicide. We joined together to make sure that we stop anyone from ever committing suicide again."

Kazuhiko lifted his head and looked at his friends, their faces and Personas smiling back at him.

"Therefore, I think we should be the SPT; The Suicide Prevention Team."

Johei nodded several times.

"Okay, I'll admit it, that's way better than my proposal."

Daichi nodded and finally quit his ridiculous pose.

"Yeah. Well, looks like we'll call ourselves that from now on."

Tyr looked at the entire team of Persona users with admiration. Then, he felt a slight pain in his head.

" _Agh!"_

Kazuhiko turned to his Persona with a worried look.

"Hey Tyr, are you okay?"

Tyr clasped his forehead then withdrew his hand.

" _I'm… fine. I don't know why, but this team reminds me of something that happened before… I just… can't remember…"_

Kazuhiko now looked even more worried.

"Well, tell me when these things happen. We're all a team here; there's nothing you can't talk to us about."

Tyr smiled at his user and nodded.

" _Alright… I'll tell you when I get a grasp on something."_

Kazuhiko seemed satisfied and turned back to the group.

"Well then, now that we've got the naming of our group out of the way, let's keep our eyes on the primary target."

Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

"Harbingers of Death, prepare yourselves for the power of the SPT!"

 **And we are back! Sorry for the three week delay everyone, I really needed time to study for finals and I'm glad to say that they are finally over! Also something to mention, please put your hands together for two new followers on this story: Ally Nicole Rose and ! Thank you so much for your support on this fiction and I hope you contribute to it's later chapters! Another thing worth mentioning, Persona Q2 is coming out! The dancing games were kinda "meh" to me but PQ was absolutely riveting! I also changed the proposed name from SPC (Suicide Prevention Crew) to SPT (Suicide Prevention Team); Adtauthor, RosyMiranto, I hope you guys are okay with this since you guys contributed to making the original name. As for Ichiwa's idea, I came up with some insults that my old man used to say to me. The social links are all related to a part of me that I went through so I want to make this story as intimate as possible. I not only write this fic for all of you guys, but also for myself. I really hope people can benefit from this story and find the strength to break from these moments of despair. Life is worth living guys, no matter what happens, it's all worth it in the end. Also, because of my delayed updating, I'll post another chapter by the end of this week.**

 _A Rip in Time-Space_

Kazuhiko: So, we're calling ourselves the SPT!

 _(Echo):_ SPT… SPT… SPT…

 _Meanwhile in Persona 5…_

Mishima: As I was saying, I made this new website for popularity rea-

Echo: SPT… SPT…

Mishima: …Could you hold on for a second?

 _Back in Persona: OLP_

Kazuhiko: How do we already have a website?!

Johei: I don't know!

Iselin: Alright, who told somebody about this?!

Daichi: I'm pointing my finger at Johei.

Johei: Hey! What the hell!?

Mikan: And what's up with the admin trying to talk to us?

Mishima: OMG OMG OMG I can't believe I get to meet you guys!

 _Everyone stays silent_

Kazuhiko: Do any of you know this guy?

Mishima: I'm your biggest fan!

Johei: How did you hear that?! We just came up with that two seconds ago!

Mishima: Don't need to thank me for everythi-

Akira: MISHIMA! What the hell did I tell you?!

Mishima: AH! Um, Kurusu-san!

 _Akira drags Mishima away by the ear_

Akira: Seriously, you just did that with The Investigation Team during my last Social link session with you…

 _Everyone stays quiet_

Mikan: … Maybe we should agree to never talk about this.

Iselin: Definitely.

Daichi: That would be for the best…

 **Oh yeah, and does anyone else find Mishima kinda annoying? Even after completing his social link?**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 _May 8, 2021; Saturday_

 _(Lunch)_

 _Kyuto High, Hallways_

Mikan walked down the hall to the student store where there was already many students. She sighed and dug out her wallet.

"Only 200 yen? Looks like I couldn't buy a Yakisoba bread anyways."

She shook her head and turned around and headed towards the stairs. On the way, she overheard a conversation between two second-years.

"Hey, did you hear that Miryoku-senpai's back from his surgery?"

"Really? I wonder if he's doing okay. I mean, his hands were already bad enough, but when he tore all the muscles in the basketball tryouts…"

"Well, here's to hoping that he won't get sent to the hospital again…"

Mikan stopped in her tracks when she heard the name.

"Miryoku…" She thought to herself.

" _The new target…"_ Skadi said to herself.

Mikan wasted no time in running to the roof.

 _Rooftop_

"Where is she? She's usually the first one here." Johei said as he ate his fried omelet bento.

Daichi shrugged.

"Who really knows? But I'm sure she'll show up eventually. Hey! Quit eating my lunch!"

Daichi quickly pulled his melon bread away from Hugin and Munin.

" _Terribly sorry Master Daichi."_ Hugin said

" _We were only curious as to what it tastes like"_ Munin defended

Daichi sighed as he tore off a piece for each of them to eat then munched on the rest.

"How can you guys even eat?" He asked.

Hildr shrugged.

" _As far as I know, those two are the only ones who can eat."_

Kazuhiko looked at the staircase expectantly then looked back at his lunch. He sighed and dug into his food until he heard the door open.

"Guys, you won't believe what I just heard!"

Johei, who was seated right next to the door, jumped and spilled some of his rice.

"Holy crap, senpai! Could you tone it down a little?"

Mikan quickly apologized and continued on her rant.

"The next target just came back here after a surgery!"

Kazuhiko, now interested in the subject, stood up.

"Wait, so this Miryoku person's our classmate?" Iselin asked.

Mikan nodded.

"He hasn't shown up at all ever since last years accident so he hasn't been assigned into a classroom yet. Also, he's more of your senpai."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin.

"So, with everything considered, you'd be the only one to be able to talk to him during class… Do you think you can do that?"

Mikan nodded.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. Anyways, we need to talk strategy for after school today."

Daichi nodded.

"That's right."

He pulled out a map and spread it out on the table.

"This is where we can enter via safe room, but we'll have to work our way up for about 4 floors or so, depending on how serious this case is."

Daichi continued to describe the floors layout and the areas where they might have to face some bosses while the Personas separated into their own group discussion.

" _So, who do you think will be the new Persona?"_ Hildr asked.

" _I hope it's not another pervert…"_ Skadi muttered.

Loki recoiled.

" _What? Pervert? Please call me by my chosen title: An absolute gentleman."_

Skadi rolled her eyes.

" _Sure, like gentlemen grope women the first chance they get."_

Loki raised an eyebrow.

" _Wait, what are you talking about? I've never done that."_

"…"

Skadi silently stared down Loki.

 **So have any of you ever played Ace Attorney?**

 _Interrogation: Start!_

Loki: I'm sure that I have never done anything to a girl such as that.

Loki: In fact I spend the majority of my time with Johei.

Skadi: OBJECTION!

Loki: AAHH!

Skadi: Johei tends to spend the majority of his time near the womens' restroom and the womens' locker room during school hours! Not to mention that he's also near the womens' changing rooms at the malls.

Loki: W-well… that is true…

Skadi: But at those points, you are nowhere to be found!

Loki: B-but it's because I'm somewhere else!

Hildr: OBJECTION! I'm afraid that can't be true either. We Personas can only be so far from our users. There could only be one place where you were in!

Loki: NO! PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!

Skadi and Hildr: (pointing at Loki) IN THE WOMENS' DESIGNATED AREAS!

 **Okay, going back to regular view**

Tyr watched with disinterest as Hildr and Skadi began to beat up Loki. Hugin and Munin ruffled their feathers on their wings and watched with the same look.

" _Honestly, the distance he goes to do that."_ Hugin cawed.

" _I know. I'm pretty disappointed in him."_ Tyr said.

 _Meanwhile…_

 **Yuichi Miryoku POV**

It was down to the last 10 minutes of the day, but Yoichi was nowhere close to finishing the assignment. His hand struggled to keep the pencil in place as he wrote down his work on a piece of scratch paper. Eventually, his finger slipped and he dropped the writing utensil.

"Hm? Is everything alright back there, Miryoku-kun?"

Yoichi nodded.

"Yeah, everything's alright Mrs. Yuko. I'm fine."

Mrs. Yuko smiled and went back to her work. Yoichi let out a deep sigh and bent down to pick up his pencil. He tried to close his fingers around it but he couldn't succeed in picking it up.

"Here, let me help you out." A friendly voice said to him.

Yoichi looked up and saw a girl's face.

"Oh, thanks Echihiro-chan."

Mikan smiled and gave him his pencil.

"You know, you can always just ask for help."

Yoichi nodded, but then turned his head.

"N-no thanks… I think I should try and rely on myself for a change."

He went back to his work, his eyes dead on the next problem.

 _I can't be a burden to anyone more than I already am._ He thought.

After several minutes, he finished and disappointedly looked at his work. He was good at math, but due to his injury he couldn't write down his answers fast enough. Sighing, he waited for the bell to ring and walked over to the teacher's desk.

"I'm sorry I couldn't finish it on time. I understand the content though."

Mrs. Yuko scanned the page and nodded.

"Don't worry, I understand. You don't have to push yourself so hard, though. I'm sure anyone would be glad to help you out."

A seconds moment of grief flashed on his eyes and he rubbed his eyelids.

"No… thanks… I'm perfectly fine doing this on my own…"

Without another word, Yoichi grabbed his bag and walked out the door, leaving Mrs. Yuko with a worried expression.

"I hope he sorts out whatever's bothering him…" She thought to herself.

 _(After School)_

 _Yoichi's house_

"Oh! You're home!"

Yoichi smiled and set his bag down.

"Hi, Mom."

He took off his shoes and walked inside to see his mother at the stove still in her outdoor attire.

"Dinner's going to be a little late today, my boss wanted me to stay after hours a little longer; Sorry."

Yoichi shook his head.

"It's fine, Mom, I was planing on getting started on homework before eating dinner and I've got a lot. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Yoichi's mother nodded and went back to the Kitchen. He opened the door to his room and set his bag down on the ground. After plopping into his chair, he set his books on his desk and looked at the mountain of assignments he had to do..

"… Christ, I'm gonna be up all night…"

He started to work on his assignments, but after half an hour, his hands started to flare with pain. Dropping his pencil, yet again, he held his hands tightly to make the pain subside. Eventually, it died down, but he was now covered in sweat.

Yoichi looked at his homework, which seemed to taunt him, and looked down at his hands.

"You just had to do that, didn't you?"

His hands did not reply.

Sighing, he went back to his desk and looked at a picture. There was large group of people in the picture, all with basketball jerseys, and a man with sandy blonde hair holding up a trophy and smiling like a champion.

A tear started to stream down Yoichi's face as he longed to see the face again.

"…Dad…"

Suddenly, he didn't feel like doing his homework anymore. He just wanted to sleep. It took him some time, but he managed to write a note for his mom and taped it on the outside of his door. After doing that, he lied down on his bed and held his knees as he cried himself to sleep.

 _Meanwhile…_

Kazuhiko led his group up the stairs with a can of RUSH being downed. He tossed the can into his bag and reached the top of the stairs. Before him was a pair of large metal doors.

"Daichi, do you sense him there?"

Daichi nodded.

"I'm positive. He's definitely behind this door."

Johei pumped his fist in the air.

"Alright! Hey, I've got a quick favor to ask."

Kazuhiko turned and looked at Johei.

"Well, it's always you heading the group, but could you let me open the door this time?"

Iselin crossed her arms.

"And what purpose would that serve?"

Johei face palmed.

"It changes everything! I mean, you all think Kaz's a badass because he was the leading face of the group when we came to save you guys!"

Skadi shook her head.

" _We think he's superior to you because he can wield multiple Personas."_

" _Quite right, milady"_ Kazuhiko's Persona, Oberon said.

Johei pressed his palms together and looked pleadingly at Kazuhiko.

"Come on, please, dude?"

Oberon shook his head.

" _I sincerely apologize my, dear plebian, but I cannot allow you to take on such an important role that is meant entire for the purpose of my lord to-"_

Kazuhiko smiled and shook his head.

"I can't really stop you now if you're so intent on doing this."

Johei raised his hands.

"YES! Thanks, man. You're the best!"

Johei dashed to the door and jumped into the air.

"Flying… DRAGON KICK!"

Johei's foot connected with the door and he stood there for several seconds. Then…

"OW!"

Johei held his foot close to his body as he writhed in agony.

" _We also think he's better than you because he doesn't act like a complete doofus."_ Hildr said as she and Iselin passed him.

"Seriously, this is all you need to do to open a door." Iselin said as she put her hand on the knob.

"…?"

Iselin twisted the knob and pushed on the door. Then, she pulled.

"Ngh… What the hell…?"

Daichi looked at the door more observantly.

"Say, why are there chains on it?"

Kazuhiko took note of this as well.

"Yeah, it's almost like they're holding the doors closed…"

Mikan reached at the chains and tried pulling on them.

"They won't budge an inch. Doesn't look like we can break them either."

" _Oh yeah? Well prepared to be amazed!"_

Johei broke his chains and let forth an attack.

"Go, Loki! _**Assault**_!"

Loki flew towards the chains and curled into a ball, the spikes on his body gleaming in the light.

" _YEAH!"_

*bonk*

Loki hit his head on the door and was knocked out cold. Skadi shook her head.

" _Like Persona, like user. Somethings don't change…"_

Johei helped Loki up.

"What the heck happened? How come we couldn't break it?"

"Because you're not close enough to him yet."

Everybody turned around to see a hooded figure with a familiar voice.

"You!" Kazuhiko said as he readied his sword.

The hooded figure sighed and twirled his Kusari-gamas.

"Come on, you guys might have gotten stronger, but you're not even a real threat to me yet. Listen, I'm just here for some small talk."

Kazuhiko reluctantly lowered his sword, but kept it out for quick use. Everyone else did likewise.

"The name's Mijuku. I've been tasked by Shiroe to take Yoichi down, but only if you guys fail in saving him."

He looked at all of them from his high perch.

"You all have potential right now, but I want a little more fun. So here's my proposal: I'll help you get to Yoichi, you guys fight me right after you're done saving him. Sound like a deal?"

Daichi looked at Kazuhiko.

"Don't agree to it, it's obviously a trap."

Kazuhiko looked down on the ground.

"But we don't have any other choice; The road's blocked and he's our only hope if getting to Yoichi."

Kazuhiko reluctantly faced Mijuku and nodded.

"Alright, you got yourself a deal."

Mijuku seemed to smile from under his hood and put his weapons away.

"Okay then. Well, there are a lot of resemblances in this world and the real world; some are kind of obvious and the others are somewhat symbolic."

Johei sighed.

"Oh, here we go. He's going to give us a boring language lecture."

"Listen up! I'm not going to repeat myself again!" Sueno said.

"This resemblance is all about Yoichi himself. The chains keep his reflection from being shown to the rest of the world. So what you want to do is get closer to him in the real world so that he can open up his gates in this world. Get it now?"

Kazuhiko had to admit that he was feeling even more confused than he initially was, but that could be because of his weak understanding. Sueno stood up.

"Well, you know what that means now, right? No more dungeon climbing for today! Scram, you can't get anything else done now!"

Sueno disappeared behind a pillar and left everybody by themselves. Hildr seemed uneasy and turned to everyone.

" _So, what do we do now?"_

Tyr crossed his arms.

" _We can't go on any further from here unless we get close to Yoichi in the real world. I believe that Mikan is our only way in now."_

Everybody turned to Mikan expectantly.

"So, how far have you gotten with him senpai?" Johei asked.

Mikan shook her head.

"Not very far. He seems reluctant to do anything with anyone; Refuses help when he really needs it, the works."

Kazuhiko scratched his chin.

"So this is going to be harder than I thought. It makes climbing the tower look easy."

He shook his head and walked towards the stair down a level.

"Let's get back to the safe room and go home. All priorities are on hold until Yoichi opens up to one of us."

 _May 9, 2021; Sunday_

 _(Early Morning)_

 **Yoichi's POV**

Yoichi woke up on his bed and found that he had dozed off the previous day. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face when he found a new note attached to his door.

 _Going to be back late tonight. Made dinner for you when you get back. Love Mom_

He smiled and put the note away as he went back to the bathroom. After cleaning up, he had realized how hungry he was from yesterday. Skipping dinner last night was definitely not a good idea.

He made himself an omelet and ate breakfast on his own like he usually did and put his dishes away in the sink. After putting his shoes on, he closed the door and headed outside for a walk to clear his head.

"I should probably apologize to her when she gets back" He said to himself as he rested his hands behind his head.

The day was cheerfully sunny, yet he still felt quite somber from the previous day. He thought about his father, or at least what he imagined his father to be. Tall and handsome, with the same hair that he had; But most importantly, he was strong. Stronger than his son, probably forever.

Yoichi sighed as he let hi head down. He was now at the marketplace which seemed to be less crowded than usual.

"Good" he thought

"I won't have to wait in line for a very long time today."

He walked up to a flower stand and waved to the owner.

"Ah! Miryoku-san! How long has it been since you were here?"

Yoichi smiled.

"Four months, it's been a pretty long time."

The shop owner laughed and went inside the store. Yoichi whistled for a little while until he returned.

"A dozen lilies again? Not to be nosy, but who are these for?" The shop owner asked.

Yoichi's smile faded slightly as he replied.

"Someone I never got to know…"

The shop owner noticed his mistake and quickly recovered.

"Oh, well then, how about those are on the house, hm?"

Yoichi smiled and nodded.

"Thank you very much. I really appreciate it."

Yoichi quickly made his way to the cemetery and nodding to the priest.

"Back again, are we?" He said.

Yoichi nodded and walked towards his destination. He stopped in front of a grave and gazed at the tombstone.

 _Here lies Yoshito Miryoku_

 _The greatest sorrow of being on top is when you fall back to the ground_

Yoichi knelt in front of the grave and placed the bouquet of lilies on the grave. Next to the bouquet was a picture of a man in a tuxedo and a woman kissing his cheek: Yoichi's mother.

"Hey, Dad. How're you doing? Well, you're dead, but I felt the need to ask anyways." He said.

The tombstone did not reply.

Yoichi kept staring at the picture for what seemed like an eternity before he continued.

"I just got back from the surgery. I tried basketball out, but I hurt myself and now… well… I don't think I can do it anymore."

He looked down on the ground with shame.

"I… I failed you… I can't be as strong as you are… I can't even live up to the name you gave me…"

 **Fun fact: Yoichi means Masculine First-born Son**

Yoichi continued to kneel in silence, looking down at the ground, waiting for his father to magically appear and forgive him, but nothing happened. There was no one to say anything to him, nothing he could do to be the son his father wanted. He was just dead weight now, and nothing more.

"Miryoku-san, are you okay?"

Yoichi was brought back to his senses when he heard a familiar voice from behind him. He turned around and saw someone he did not expect to see on a Sunday.

"Oh, Echihiro-chan. Yeah, I'm good. What are you doing here?"

Mikan looked over to a tombstone that was further up ahead and smiled.

"Just paying my respects. I guess you're doing the same?"

Yoichi nodded as he pointed towards his father's grave. Mikan took an interest at what was on it.

"Oh, I should have brought flowers! Geez, why didn't I think of that?"

Mikan turned around to go to the market place but was stopped mid-stride.

"H-hold on!"

She turned around and saw Yoichi take a few lilies from the bouquet.

"Here, I have a few to spare if you want them."

Mikan smiled and took the lilies.

"Thanks, I really owe you now, don't I?"

Yoichi shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine."

Then, he sharply took in a breath. He staggered back down on his knees and began panting rapidly. Mikan dropped the lilies and put her hand on his back.

"Oh God! Hold on, I'll call an ambulance!"

Mikan dug into her pocket punched in some numbers.

"Hello? I need immediate medical assistance. I have a young adolescent with me and he needs **help.** "

Yoichi's eyes flung wide open and he quickly dashed out of the cemetery, leaving Mikan behind. He held his hands tightly as he ran past the gate and back home.

"D-damn you… Why now!?" He yelled.

After several minutes of running, he stopped in an alleyway to catch his breath.

"Ngh… Damn it…"

He rested his back on the wall as he felt his hands throbbing again. This time, they looked swollen and bruised, probably because he squeezed them. He could feel the fragile bones in his fingers almost snapping from the pressure.

Yoichi sat down and placed his hands close to his chest as he writhed in pain. Eventually it died down but he could still feel his hands aching. Reluctantly, he picked himself up and started his long walk home.

"I should probably apologize to Echihiro-chan tomorrow as well. I probably worried her when I ran off."

Without thinking, he accidentally tripped.

"Oof! Oww…"

"Hey, you need a hand?" A voice asked him.

Yoichi looked up at the unknown person and saw a hand being offered to help him up.

"Yeah, thanks."

Once he got to his feet, Yoichi felt another surge of pain in his hands. The stranger noticed this and beckoned to the chair.

"Hey, take a seat, I can fix that for you."

Hesitantly, Yoichi sat down in the chair and awaited the man's move.

"Wait, what am I doing? I don't even know this guy and I'm accepting help from him? What's wrong with me?"

But before he could back out, the stranger took his hands in his own and muttered something.

" _ **Dia"**_

For a split second, Yoichi saw something shine and immediately felt the pain leave from his hands. He took his hands back and examined them, but nothing had changed. Only the pain was gone.

"W-who are you?"

The man sat back in his chair and beckoned for a waiter.

"Well, I'm called a lot of things, but I'm sure that's not the real question you have in mind, correct?"

Yoichi looked down at his hands once again and thought deeply.

"Yeah, he's right" he thought.

"What the hell just happened? How did he do something like that?"

When he looked back up, the stranger was sipping a cup of tea and offered him a cup as well.

"This must all be pretty confusing to you, but I can assure you that I am far from being the Messiah. I'm just an ordinary person with… extraordinary talents…"

Yoichi took the cup and sipped the tea. Chamomile; his Father's favorite.

"Well, what if I told you that this kind of power is not exclusive, rather everyone can have it? Even you could have this power to no bounds. You can heal your hands as many times as you like. Attain strength that you could never have thought to have been possible. Even fulfill your father's name for you."

Yoichi raised his eyebrow. It seemed suspicious how the stranger knew his father, let alone his name, but it didn't matter right now; What mattered was this power that he was talking about.

"And I can get this power?"

The stranger nodded.

"Yes, anyone can. So long as they meet some certain conditions, it is possible."

Yoichi put his cup down and straightened his back.

"How do I get it?"

The stranger finished his cup and set it on the table. He pulled a card from his pocket and opened his hand.

"Your phone, please."

Yoichi handed him his phone and the stranger scanned the QR code with it. After handing it back to him, Yoichi noticed an app that was downloading.

"What is this?" he asked.

The stranger sat back and pulled out his wallet.

"One of the necessities. It'll give you instructions on what to do to get this power. And with that, I bid you a good day."

The stranger stood up and left money on the table. But before he took a few steps, he heard Yoichi call to him.

"Wait! Who are you? How can I thank you?"

The stranger turned and faced Yoichi.

"Well, if you're so persistent…" he said.

"How you can repay me will be decided at a later date. As for my name, you may call me Shiroe."

 **Aaaand we are back! Crazy chapter that I just came up with today, all about Yoichi and his struggles. I assure you that all the misconceptions about him will clear up when he gets his Persona so just hang on tight. Also, on a side note, Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday this week with anybody important in your life: Your family, friends, lovers, pets, and all that jazz. It's pretty tough how I try to squeeze in the social links (or confidants, whatever you prefer) with the main story because whenever I play Persona, I make dungeons my top priority before I do anything else, also I tend to go through dungeons quickly so I don't waste a lot of time. My plans for doing this, however, will consist of multiple days of dungeon crawling and social links after every day. As for the questions of RosyMiranto and Adtauthor, the uniform consists of a gray overcoat buttoned to the mid-chest area with a white collared shirt and tie accompanied by black pants for the boys while the girls have a similar design except they have black shirts and skirts; The color difference is for teachers to be able to spot students from afar, if they see a white and black shirt together, they can draw conclusions easier. In the summer, the uniform changes to the boys having only the white collared shirts, no ties are required, and the girls have the same attire as well, white shirts and black skirts. Kazuhiko wears the uniform except he keeps his jacket unbuttoned and has the tie loosened a bit. Daichi wears the uniform all buttoned up entirely but no tie. Johei wears the uniform of the jacket but has a tie T-shirt underneath. Mikan wears her uniform to the exact, because her seniority requires it, while Iselin wears her jacket open, because she is used to the cold, and pants without the skirt, because she's afraid of someone looking up her skirt. Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas (or Hanukkah) and have a Happy New Year!**

 _Airsoft War_

*BANG* *BANG*

Kazuhiko fired his pistol at the opposing enemy.

"Take our squad down to the second hill! We can flank them in that direction!"

Johei ran towards a large barrel and set his back behind it. He fired off a few rounds of his own before returning to cover.

"Cover me for about five seconds; I can take Daichi with me in that time!"

Kazuhiko fired off several more shots forcing the enemy to take cover behind the banks.

"Now's your chance!"

Johei ran and dove for the building nearest to him with Daichi right behind.

*BANG*

"AGH!"

Daichi clutched his chest and fell to the ground. Johei turned around and watched his friend writhe in pain.

"DAICHI!"

He ran to his side and held out his pistol firing more shots to buy himself some time.

"Daichi, look at me! Don't even think of nodding off on me!"

Daichi looked up at his friend with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I… I can see them… the stars… they're beautiful…"

Johei shook Daichi trying to keep him conscious.

"Kazuhiko! Buy me some time!"

"I can't! I'm on my last 20 rounds!"

Johei turned back to his friend.

"Alright, keep looking at me, okay? We're gonna get you outta here; you're going to walk out here with your own two feet, alive, do you understand me?"

Daichi's eyes shed a tear.

"Tell… tell Izzy… tell her I wanted to… to propose to her… give her this ring… I hanged onto it for months… tell her… I love her…"

Daichi's eyes started to close as he drifted away. Johei continued to try and shake him awake.

"Daichi?… Daichi! Wake up! Don't die on me! That's an order, soldier!"

Kazuhiko shouted to Johei from behind his wall.

"Hurry up! He already knows he can't make it! Don't let your life be added to the gravestone!"

Johei wiped the tears that ran down his face as he ran towards the opposing wall.

"I'll come back for you, man… I promise you…"

 _Back in the lobby…_

Mikan, Iselin and Nanako are watching the boys "stage act" after their round of Airsoft in Tokyo.

"What… did we just watch?" Mikan asked.

Iselin's face was steaming. Mikan looked at her friend worriedly.

"Are you alright? Do you have a fever?"

"I… I had no idea… he th-th-thought of me… th-that w-w-way"

Nanako turned towards the boys who were seated right behind them.

"Care to explain this?" She asked.

Johei shook his head in disappointment.

"I guess some people have no taste for the fine arts, right lads?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, Shakespeare would have thought this was script GOLD."

Loki took out the auxiliary cord from his monitor.

" _So, how was my camera work, guys?"_

Tyr clapped his hands.

" _It couldn't have been better, my friend."_

Hugin and Munin were in the corner crying.

" _Poor Master Daichi! *sniff* He never had a chance!"_

" _He never got to experience a wedding night at all! WAAAAHH!"_

"A… a wedding night?!" Iselin shrieked.

She passed out on the ground with blood dripping from her nostrils. Mikan sighed as she picked her up.

"Hey, help me out, Nanako. We need to get her back to the Hotel."

Nanako saluted.

"On it."

As the girls dragged Iselin out, Skadi and Hildr kept their eyes on the TV screen. Skadi shook her head in disappointment.

" _My goodness, what trash can did those boys dig this garbage out of, I wonder."_

" _Bravo! Encore! Encore!"_ Hildr said as she madly clapped and threw roses into the air.

Skadi face-palmed as she left her friend in the lobby with embarrassment.

The man at the desk looked over his newspaper.

"So are you kids done here or what? I've got a shipment coming in less than 10 minuets."

 **All of this was non-canon, by the way. Also, did anyone ever have Airsoft as a part of their childhood? I always did this kind of thing with my cousins, acting out Shakespeare in the middle of a shootout.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

To Be Stronger

 _May 10, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

 _(Morning)_

"Edward Bulwer-Lytton once said that the pen is mightier than the sword; What is the significance of that?" Mrs. Shizumi asked.

Everyone payed attention attentively except for four young students who were texting each other using the secrecy of their desks.

Kazuhiko: Is he here today?

Mikan: Yes, but he seems more distant now.

Johei: Keep at it senpai; Your our only hope now.

Daichi: I believe you spelled 'you're' incorrectly Johei.

Johei: Shut up, bird man.

Iselin: Ha, I wuz thinking the same thing.

Daichi: How many typos are you going to make, Iselin? You all really need to work on your grammar.

Iselin: Can it, hawkeye!

"So, I see that you four are having quite the interest in my lecture, are we?" Mrs. Shizumi said as she directed everyone's attention to the Persona gang.

Kazuhiko casually looked up and pulled out a sheet of paper with some notes he had scribbled on.

"Sorry, I was just looking for another sheet; I ran out of space."

The rest of the group quickly stuffed their phone in their pockets before the attention was drawn back to them.

Mrs. Shizumi shook her head and walked back to the front of the classroom as Johei let out a deep breath of relief.

"Thanks, dude" he mouthed to Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko just smiled and turned his head back to the front.

"Now for a quick announcement, club and sports signups are open; I suggest you look into that if you have extra time on your hands that you lay to waste."

 _(Lunch time)_

The entire group split up in order to try and find Yoichi on their own. Mikan searched the halls, Daichi the classrooms, Iselin the rooftops, and Kazuhiko the plazas. Strangely, Johei volunteered to check the restrooms.

"I swear, he could be in there and you wouldn't be able to know about it" Johei said as he raised his hands.

After much arguing, and punching on Loki in the face (Skadi's behalf), Johei was sent to search the teacher's offices.

"Uuggghhh, what a pain." Johei moaned as he walked through the halls.

Not saying that searching was difficult, it just left him with so much more time to wait for everyone. He sat down on a chair at the designated meeting rooftop with Loki overlooking the plazas below.

" _Niner-niner, target is not in my sights. Orders captain?"_ Loki sarcastically said as he placed his hand at his brow.

Johei fiddled around with his phone sending a text message to everyone.

Johei: Hey u guys done yet?

Johei: Daichi dont u dare autocorrect me

He put his phone back into his pocket when nobody answered and walked over to where Loki was floating.

"Well, it's been a while since we had another target."

Loki nodded.

" _Yup, it definitely has. Almost forgot the rush that it gave me when we were running through Niflheim."_

Johei smiled at the thought of dungeon crawling. Then, he thought of how it came to be and frowned.

"Nope, don't think that. Just don't."

" _Don't think what?"_

Loki turned around to see Johei massaging his temples and frowning in frustration.

"It's nothing ma-"

" _Suzuki, right?"_

Johei smiled at his Persona.

"You know me too well."

" _I am you."_

Johei put his hands behind his head and looked over the plaza with interest.

"Might as well help out Kaz for a little while."

Loki touched the ground with his feet and sat next to Johei.

" _Oh yeah, I always wondered: What happened to that guy you knew in kindergarten? What's his name. Yuji?"_

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Yoshimitsu Nakagawa. Come on, you're a computer; Don't you have like a good memory or something?"

Loki chuckled to himself.

" _Come on, can't you take a joke? Or perhaps it was a bit too **Loki** to notice?"_

"Bad pun. Anyways, you are me, aren't you? You probably already know the story."

Loki floated back up into the air and hovered in front of Johei.

" _Oh, but it's so much better when you tell me!"_

Johei waved his hand and tried to move around.

"Come on, I can't see anything right now!"

Loki continued to hover in front of Johei until he threw up his arms and gave in.

"Alright! So you want to know what happened? *sigh* Fine."

Loki sat down on the ground and listened to Johei.

"So, last time on the Shiroka Files."

" _Cut the crap."_

 _Flashback_

Johei and Kazuhiko were standing in front of Yoshimitsu as he was sitting down.

"What's your problem?" Yoshi said as he crossed his arms and looked away from the two.

Johei and Kazuhiko looked at each other as if to try to telepathically communicate. After a dispute, which Johei won, Kazuhiko sighed and spoke.

"Are… are you okay?"

Yoshi frowned and replied.

"What's it to you?"

Kazuhiko sighed and stepped back.

"Come on, Johei, I told you this was a bad idea."

Johei shrugged off and stepped forward.

"You're not doin' so good at home, right?"

Yoshimitsu stiffened up and scooted away.

"It's none of your damn business."

Johei's eyes saddened.

"Well, you're not the only one who has to go through hard times, you know?"

Yoshimitsu's eyes narrowed.

"Whatever. The only thing that's bothering me right now is you two! Get out of here before I kick your butts!"

Johei recoiled a bit but stood fast, not giving an inch to the bully.

"We just want to help you. You think that we're different than you, but you're wrong. We all have gotten hurt, some worse than others, but hurt nonetheless."

Yoshimitsu scooted away some more but found himself in the corner.

"You might not be able to stop what's happened then, but you can choose your actions now and in the future. Don't let your dad-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Yoshimitsu stood up and punched Johei in the face. He fell back into Kazuhiko he propped him up.

"See, I told you this was a bad idea." He told Johei as he dragged him back.

Johei waved his hand for Kazuhiko to stop.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Well, you're just a work in progress. You'll open up to people sooner or later."

The two walked away as Yoshi yelled at them.

"Wait, what do you mean 'sooner or later'? Stay the hell away from me!"

 _Flashback End_

" _And then what happened?"_

Johei sighed.

"Well, Kaz and I tried everyday. We made some improvements, and eventually he became our friend. He was a little rough around the edges, but he stopped punching people all the time."

Loki smiled (put a smiley emoticon on his monitor) and stood up.

" _Don't you just love happy endings?"_ He said in a mocking tone.

Johei smiled, but then frowned again. Loki took notice of this and leaned in front of him.

" _That… that was the ending, right? Right?"_

Johei shook his head and felt a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

"Looks like nobody's had any luck. Kaz says we'll try again tomorrow and to keep our eyes peeled."

Johei stuffed the phone back in his pocket and headed towards the stairs to meet with the rest of the group.

 _(After school)_

 _Shigure's Restaurant_

The five student and their Personas sat at the table with downed faces.

"Too bad we couldn't find him, huh?" Iselin said as she reached into her pocket for a cigarette.

Everyone looked grim as their waiter came to the table.

"Not a good day, guys?" He asked as he pulled out his notepad.

Kazuhiko shook his head and gave him their orders.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes", The waiter said after he refilled their drinks.

Kazuhiko took out his phone and checked the Mirror Dimension Navigator.

 _3 weeks_ , he thought, _we still have a lot of time left… but will it be enough?_

After he put his phone away, he looked up to see everyone looking at him,

"We need to come up with a plan, Kaz." Johei told him.

Mikan nodded in agreement.

"He slipped past us today because we were unprepared. We need to make sure he doesn't slip by again the next time we search for him."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm still working on it."

"Well, what have you got so far?", Iselin asked as she blew out a puff of smoke.

Daichi sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you ever going to stop that smoking habit of your's?"

Iselin stuck her tongue out and breathed in the cigarette.

"Haven't I told you already? I smoke when I feel cold."

"…but we're in a restaurant; It's hot and stuffy in here…"

"…"

*whack*

"OW!"

"Shut up, Hawkeye."

Daichi and Iselin continued to argue while Kazuhiko talked to Mikan and Johei.

"So, here's the plan. Mikan, since you have Yoichi in your class, you'll be our eyes and ears at the beginning; Keep him in sight and watch where he goes. The places that he frequently visits will be where we camp-out at the day after. With luck, one of us will be able to run into him by slight of chance."

Mikan nodded as she was listening to every word.

"Alright, so I'm the first step."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"After tomorrow, I'll assign positions for everyone to wait at. You got that Johei?"

Kazuhiko turned to his friend to see a snot bubble steadily growing and shrinking. Rolling his eyes, Daichi took a toothpick from nearby and popped it.

*BANG*

"Ah! What happened?!", Johei said as he sat up straight.

Daichi flicked the toothpick at Johei and sighed.

"Be sure to stay awake more often, dipwad."

Johei frowned as he brushed the toothpick away.

"Oh! Here's the food."

"And here's the Rice Platter Challenge!" The waiter said as he placed the bowl in front of Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko cracked his knuckles and picked up his chopsticks.

"Alright! I'm gonna beat this thing for sure!"

 _A few moments later…_

"*pant* *pant* *wheeze* *pant*"

Kazuhiko lay down on the table, defeated by the massive amount of rice. Johei peeked into the bowl and looked at the remaining food inside.

"Whoa! You actually made some progress this time! Nice job!"

Johei patted Kazuhiko on the back as his friend wheezed in pain.

"Please… stop… so… full… hurts…"

Iselin sighed as she reached for another cigarette in her box. When she shook it and found it to be empty, she sighed.

"Geez, someone has definitely been taking my stash. I wonder who it is this time…"

Hildr coughed as she held up a handful of cigarettes and threw them into the trash.

" _Seriously, you have to stop this habit of yours. Smoking really doesn't help your complexion."_

Iselin sighed and made a mental note to buy more cigarettes later. Daichi put down his bowl and waved for the waiter.

"Check, please. Okay, let's see here… What? How did we order all this stuff?"

Daichi looked at the table and saw a mountain of bowls and his Personas on the ground.

" _So much food…"_ Munin cawed

" _It was delicious…"_ Hugin groaned as he struggled to get on his feet.

Daichi sighed and pulled out his wallet.

"And there goes my paycheck…"

Mikan turned to Daichi with interest.

"Oh? You have a job?"

Daichi nodded.

"Well, the dorms only provided a room for me so I need to make money for food. Especially with these two."

He motioned to the crows on the ground that wobbled as they flapped their wings.

" _Please, Master Daichi."_

" _Help us up…"_

"Not gonna happen. You two have to find your own way home this time", Daichi said as he stood up and left with everyone else.

" _No! Wait! You can't do this to us!"_

" _Don't leave!"_

" _You know they can't be too far from you, right?",_ Tyr said to Daichi.

"They don't seem to remember", Daichi said back as he chuckled.

 _(Evening)_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Lobby_

"Pick up the pace, lazy bones!", Takai yelled to Ichiwa.

The boy rushed to get the luggage to the elevator until he bumped into someone. The baggage crashed onto the ground again, much to Ichiwa's dismay.

"Aahh! I'm so sorry, sir! Please forgive me!"

"It's alright, you can get off your knees.", he heard the person say.

He looked up to see a familiar face.

"We really need to stop meeting like this, Ichiwa. Need some help?"

Ichiwa nodded and began to put the baggage back onto the cart.

"Thanks a lot. I really owe you big time for this and last time."

He turned to hear shouting from Takai again and hid behind the rack. Luckily, Takai was just yelling to the chefs in the kitchen to get a few room service orders ready.

"Whew! Thank goodness he didn't notice", Ichiwa said with relief as he wiped his brow.

He turned around to Kazuhiko and bowed once more.

"You know, just feel free to ask me what you want; I'm getting the feeling that you forgot my offer"

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Oh, I haven't forgot, it's just the need for more help that I'm lacking"

"Oh…", Ichiwa said.

His eyes drooped for a second, but he returned to his cheerful self once again.

"Say, I've got an idea! You don't have a job yet, right?", he asked.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Well, the pay here's pretty good, and we are a bit understaffed, so how about you try applying here?"

Kazuhiko hesitated to answer but was quickly stopped.

"Oh, and don't worry about Takai being rough on you. You're a customer here so he'll treat you well enough when you work. Kids who used to live here did it all the time!"

With that being cleared up, Kazuhiko smiled.

"Alright, I'll look into it."

Ichiwa looked as if he could never be happier.

"And, I could also vouch for you so you'd definitely be hired!"

Kazuhiko waved his hand.

"Alright, alright. This way you can stop being so guilty about me helping you out."

Ichiwa scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Ah! Th-that wasn't the main purpose! J-just a little bonus, maybe…"

Kazuhiko smiled and walked into the elevator with Ichiwa to his floor.

"Well, see you next time!", Ichiwa said as he waved goodbye to Kauhiko while the doors closed.

Kazuhiko waved back until he heard a voice in the back of his head.

 _You feel Ichiwa's gratitude… Your bond with the Tower Arcana has grown deeper!_

A faint light shined in front of his face and he briefly saw a tarot card appear. Then, time resumed as usual.

"The tower… what did that mean again?", he mumbled to himself as he unlocked the door to his room and landed on his bed for the night.

 _The Velvet Room_

The faint piano tune drifted into his ears as Kazuhiko slowly opened his eyes to a room of blue. He was sitting in his usual chair and saw the familiar sight of the old man and the young gil at his side.

"Welcome back, dear guest", Igor said to him.

Kazuhiko rubbed his eyes and let them adjust to the lighting of the room.

"Well, I guess that you summoning me here must mean something's about to go down or there's something new."

Igor chuckled and nodded.

"A sharp mind you have, indeed you are correct."

He turned to Alexandria and beckoned her.

"Well? You said that you wanted to speak with our guest, had you not?"

Alexandria blushed slightly, then stepped forward.

"I… I admit it… I called you here to see if you would take up a different kind of request…"

She shifted her weight and regained her posture.

"The outside world is a very interesting setting that many of my older siblings have wandered into before. One of my siblings left permanently in search of an answer… And… I want to find out why she did so."

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"Wait wait wait… you called me here?"

Alexandria blushed profusely.

"Because you're the only one who'll be able to take me out!"

There was a long awkward silence as Alexandria processed what she had just said.

"I… I mean… take me out of this room… I always wanted to experience the outside world…"

Igor, who was smiling as always, chuckled as he looked at his assistant.

"My, I wondered when this would happen. It always rolls around one way or another, you know."

Alexandria stepped back and frowned.

"S-so… would you accept this request?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Alright, it doesn't look like I have much of a choice."

Alexandria, who looked content with his answer, smiled for a brief moment, then turned back into her strict expression.

"Well then, now that we're done here, get out of here."

Nothing happened. Alexandria looked confused and tried again.

"I said, leave."

Nothing happened again.

"Strange, I swore I did it right this time…"

Igor looked amused.

"Hm, it looks as if you didn't do the dismissal spell correctly."

Alexandria looked at Igor with confusion.

"What are you talking about? I did it perfectly."

"Except for one little thing", Igor said as he waved his finger at her.

"And what is that?", she asked accusingly.

Igor sighed and looked at Kazuhiko.

"Well, you see, the dismissal spell only works if the requirements are met. One, the reason for calling you here must be fulfilled, and two, the person using the spell must wholeheartedly wish for you to leave."

Alexandria blushed even more so and started to protest.

"Wh-what?! I do not want him here! Look, I'll prove it!"

And with a wave of her hand, Kazuhiko disappeared from the chair he was sitting in. Alexandria pointed at the chair and turned to Igor.

"See? I am completely sure that I wanted him gone. I just had… a little hiccup."

Igor sighed and looked back at the seat.

"It always happens… One way or another…"

 _May 12, 2021; Wednesday_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom B-2_

 _(Morning)_

Kazuhiko: Ready guys?

Mikan: Yes

Daichi: Absolutely.

Johei: yea

Iselin: I got dis

Kazuhiko put his phone back in his pocket and patiently waited for the lunch bell to ring.

" _And so it begins"_ , Tyr said as he followed Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded as he made his way to the less crowded halls.

"Yeah. Everyone knows their places; Mikan told us where he most likely is during lunch so we can bet that at least one of us is going to run into him."

Kazuhiko arrived at his destination and scanned the crowd.

"Looks like I'm not the lucky one today:, he said to Tyr.

" _Maybe he just hasn't turned up yet?"_ Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe, but we still have everyone else."

 **Johei's POV**

" _Is he here yet?"_

"No."

" _How about now?"_

"No."

" _Is that him?"_

"No."

" _How about him?"_

"Please shut up."

 **Iselin's POV**

"Hm, so what did he look like again?", Iselin asked.

" _A little on the tall side, sandy blond hair, he wears the third year jacket"_ , Hildr replied.

Iselin sighed as she overlooked the sea of third years that she was in front of.

"This is going to take a while."

 **Daichi's POV**

" _Master Daichi! Is that him?"_ Munin asked as he pointed his wing to a boy.

"Hm… no, he doesn't have the hair. Plus, he's a first year", Daichi said as he sighed.

He walked over to the vending machine to buy a drink.

 _I should probably look casual if I'm going to stand here on my own_ , he thought to himself.

" _Master Daichi!"_ Hugin shrieked.

Daichi turned around calmly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Hugin pointed to the corner.

" _I believe we are being followed by a massive amount of people!"_

Daichi scratched his head.

"What are you talking about? I don't see anyo-"

"Oh my god! There's Amasawa-senpai!"

A large group of girls suddenly appeared from around the corner as they started to fill up the hallway. Daichi watched at the colossal wave of first years headed his way.

"Yeah, definitely casual…"

 **Kazuhiko's POV**

Kazuhiko sighed as he put his phone back.

"Doesn't look like anyone else's having any luck either."

He took a look at his watch and sighed again.

"And lunch is almost over."

Tyr patted his back.

" _Well, Mikan didn't answer yet. Have a little hope in her"_ ,Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, if anyone can talk to him, it's senpai."

 **Mikan POV**

"He's nowhere", Mikan said disappointedly.

Skadi shook her head and looked at the large groups of students.

" _Honestly, I can find any reason why he's with other people right now. He seemed to be quite depressed during class lately"_ , Skadi said.

Mikan nodded. For the past few days, Yoichi started to look more gloomy.

"I wonder what happened now?", she said to her self.

She finished her strawberry milk and tossed it to the trashcan. Then, she heard a whistle.

"Nice shot, Mika-chan!"

She turned around and saw Shita.

"Oh, hey Shita-tan. What's up?"

Shita shrugged.

"Oh, nothing much. Working at the Hotel later today?"

Mikan shook her head.

"Sorry, I've got something I need to take care of first."

Shita nodded.

"Yeah, I wouldn't really want to work there right now, anyways. Takai-san's been pretty pissed off lately."

Mikan raised her eyebrow.

"Oh? Why?"

Shita looked down.

"Well, Kawahara-san's been having a lot of pressure on him right now, Takai-san's not gonna cut him any slack."

Mikan nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see. I hope he loosens up a bit."

Shita went back to smiling.

"Well then, what are you here for? I never see you just sitting around here."

Mikan smiled nervously.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just looking for someone, is all."

Shita paused for a moment.

"Wait a second… looking for someone…? Could this person perhaps be… your love interest?"

Mikan jumped at the sound.

"What?"

Shita smiled.

"I hit the mark, didn't I?"

Mikan shook her head but Shita slung her arm around her.

"No need to be bashful, Mika-chaaaaan. I won't tell anyone."

Meanwhile, Skadi took note of their shenanigans.

" _Love interest? You never told me anything about this"_ , she said.

Mikan shook her head and finally broke from Shita's embrace.

"Can you help me out, though?"

Shita suddenly added a little more emotion into her actions as she clapped her hands together.

"My best friend? Asking me for relationship advice? Oh, this is perfect!"

Mikan dealt with Shita's newfound hyperactivity and managed to get her to sit down.

"Well then, bring on the questions! Clothes? Make-up? Date location?"

"A-actually, I just need to know why he's so down", Mikan said.

Shita held her chin.

"Ah, so you're going for Miryoku-kun, huh?"

Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Well, I may have an idea why. Last year, he broke his hands during basketball practice, right? Well, I heard that sports club sign-ups are already here. Maybe he's down because he won't get to participate?"

Mikan pondered over the subject.

"That's true… He still does have the injury… I think I know just where to find him now. Thanks Shita!"

Shita smiled back and waved.

"Happy to help two love birds come together!"

"Shut up!"

And with that, Mikan made her way back to the classroom.

 _Kyuto High; Bulletin Board_

 _(After School)_

Yoichi sighed as he watched students one after another stop in front of the board. Some of them hovered around the sports sign-up area and wrote down their names. Pretty soon, they all cleared out, giving Yoichi a clear view of the sheets.

"Sigh, looks like Basketball's almost filled up…", he said to himself.

He felt his hands ache again. It seemed as if the weird thing Shiroe did to him didn't last for a very long time.

"Oh, Miryoku-san. What are you doing here?"

Yoichi turned to see Mikan walk down the hall. He waved to her and scooted to make room for her on the bench.

"Nothing much. Oh yeah, sorry about running away on you that time. I shouldn't have done that."

Mikan waved her hand aside as she smiled to him.

"It's nothing. Water under the bridge."

Yoichi smiled, then felt his hands ache again.

"What happened, though? You should tell someone about it."

Yoichi held up his hand and looked at the old scars where the scalpels cut through his skin during the surgery.

"The surgery I had… it didn't turn out so great. I can't do anything now."

Mikan stayed silent and waited for him to continue.

"My hands were already so weak and I tried out for Basketball. I thought I could be able to make the team, but it turns out my hands couldn't take it. And now, their even weaker than before."

He slunk his shoulders and looked at the ground. Mikan needed to clear up something, so she asked him a question.

"But why did you want to join basketball when you could have gotten hurt?"

Yoichi sighed and answered.

"Well, it's because of my dad. He played basketball during his High school years, I just wanted to carry on."

Mikan raised her eyebrow and turned to Skadi.

" _It doesn't seem strange, but I sense that it isn't the whole truth…"_ , Skadi told her.

Mikan turned back to Yoichi again and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, you told that to everyone before, but is that really why you wanted to join?"

Yoichi stayed silent as Mikan sighed and stood up.

"Well, if you don't feel like opening up right now, talk to me when you do."

Mikan walked off towards the gates when she heard Skadi.

" _What are you doing? You haven't gotten close enough to him yet!"_

Mikan sighed.

"I can't get anymore closer to him right now. If I try to force my way in, he'll think I'm being nosy and he won't talk to me again. Just give him some time."

"Wait."

Mikan turned around to see Yoichi behind her. Yoichi looked down at his hands and hesitated.

"I… I wanted to play… because… because I wanted to prove that I wasn't weak…"

Yoichi stopped for a moment then continued.

"My dad named me Yoichi because he wanted a strong child, something he saw that I wasn't. He spent so much time with me when I was a baby, he even stopped playing basketball just to see my first steps, or at least my mom told me."

Mikan patted his shoulders to make him look up.

"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready yet-"

"No, I need to do this", he said.

"Or else I'm not just weak on the outside."

Mikan walked him over to the bench and sat down as he continued his story.

"Pretty soon, he lost his spot on the roster and stayed home. He did his best to scrape up money so he could find a doctor that could perform a new kind of surgery that might fix my hands. Of course, it was just experimental at the time. He did all he could to make the money, but he could never make enough. The chance slipped by, and he was already so tired. I was seven by the time he died, and I never got the chance to know him personally. He was always about trying to make me stronger, he forgot what I was."

Yoichi paused to breath and wiped some tears off his face.

"When it was time for his funeral, I was still just a little kid. They were about to read his will when I just bolted. I ran as far away as I could. Now, I can never hear his last words."

Yoichi finally broke down and buried his face in his hands. Mikan sat by him and hugged his shoulders.

"There… He's probably thinking that you're pretty strong right now, though. Not physically, but he probably thinks you've got a strong personality. It took a lot of courage to tell someone else this. He would have been proud."

After several minutes, Yoichi finally stopped crying and calmed himself down.

"Yeah… he definitely would have… Thanks Echihiro-chan."

Mikan waved her hand.

"You don't have to be so formal, just call me Mikan."

Yoichi paused then spoke.

"How about Mika-chan for now. I'll try to get used to it."

Mikan smiled.

"You've gotta start somewhere."

The two of them left the school gates together until they split paths.

"So, how was your little talk?", A voice asked from behind her.

Mikan quickly turned around to face Shita who was smiling impishly.

"Well? Come on, don't leave me in the dark. Give me the details!"

Mikan humphed and walked off.

"Wait, hold on! I was just kidding! Please! Don't leave me behind!"

Shita grabbed onto Mikan's ankles as she was dragged on the ground.

"*sigh* you're such a child. You know that?"

 _Meanwhile…_

"Oh hey, looks like it worked!", Johei said to everyone when he saw Mikan's text.

Mikan: I think this'll be enough to get past the doors.

Daichi: Nice grammar, senpai. Unlike some people…

"Hey, shut up!"

Daichi chuckled as he put his phone away.

"So, we meet up tomorrow after school?", Iselin asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yes, but with the time that's passed, he's probably gone further up the tower, I'd say about 3 more floors."

"Make that 4 starting tomorrow; Looks like we'll see some new shadows", Iselin said when she opened up the Mirror Dimension Navigator.

Daichi sighed.

"Well then, looks like my current intel will be all but useful; We'll be completely in the dark with these new bastards. Oh wait, I can always hit them with a Hama or Mudo."

Johei fake laughed.

"Yeah, we can always count on Captain Mike Hawk to finish the job."

Daichi frowned at the statement.

"Mike Hawk? Why'd you call me that?"

Kazuhiko tried as hard as he could to hold in his laughter. Johei looked as if he was about to explode.

"I mean, I kind of get Hawk, but what's the Mike for?"

Iselin, who seemed to be in the dark as well, tried to figure it out.

"Mike Hawk… Mike Hawk…"

Now, Kazuhiko and Johei couldn't hold in their laughter anymore, and neither could Loki. Everyone else had completely no idea what was happening.

"Damn, Daichi… You really know how to pick 'em!" Johei said between gasps.

Tyr looked confused.

" _Who is this Mike Hawk person?"_

"Mike Hawk… My… OH MY GOD!"

 **Let's just say no one escapes the fury of Iselin.**

"Oww…"

"Why did I get hit?"

Iselin humphed and walked away from the boys. Hildr stayed behind long enough to scold them.

" _You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly, to make a frail maiden like Iselin be painted in such an image…"_

"Many words I can use to describe Iselin, but 'frail' and 'maiden' aren't among them", Johei whispered.

"Shut up", Kazuhiko hissed back, but they both received another fist to the head.

" _Well, I guess that's enough beatings for you two"_ Hildr said as she turned her back on them.

Johei rubbed his head and felt a bump grow.

"Geez, why are we friends with such scary women?", Johei asked.

" _Well, we technically didn't have a choice, but at least they'll help in Niflheim. Besides, I'm just glad I got away without getting hit"_ ,Loki said.

" _Which reminds me, you didn't get hit yet"_ , Hildr said as she came back.

 **Neither does one escape Hildr either.**

" _Owww…"_ , Loki moaned as he rubbed his monitor.

"You've got nobody but your fat lip to blame for that ass kicking", Johei told his Persona.

Daichi and Iselin had left them for the dormitory after their joke, while they were headed home. On the way, they passed the cemetery, where Kazuhiko spotted a familiar face sitting in front of the gates.

"Oh, hey Amenogawa-san!", he yelled to the man.

Shirou turned and stood up.

"So, we meet again, Sukima Kazuhiko."

His face showed anything but a warm welcome; His eyes were darker than usual and his face much more pale. Kazuhiko recoiled at the sight.

"Geez, have you been sleeping well lately?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"Does it look like I have? Ah, never mind. Listen, I've got a favor to ask you; Can you meet me here tonight? 9 PM?"

Kazuhiko was about to ask why until Shirou raised his hand to stop him.

"Just something I need for a two man job", He said.

In the end, Kazuhiko agreed and made his way back home.

" _What do you think he has planned?"_ , Tyr asked Kazuhiko.

"In all honesty, I have no idea. Anyways, I might as well get it over with quick, we still need to go out tomorrow for Yoichi."

 _(Evening)_

"Ah, glad you could come. Here, take this and follow me."

Shiroe beckoned towards the desk that had a flashlight and several batteries. Reluctantly, Kazuhiko grabbed one and stuffed it in his pocket. He looked over to Shirou and saw that he held a large bag over his shoulder.

"So, mind telling me what we're doing?", Kazuhiko asked.

The young man made no sound as he walked into the cemetery.

"What, you afraid or something? Let's get a move on!"

Kazuhiko sighed and turned on his flashlight. For several minutes, they were walking in complete silence.

"I never realized how big this place really is", he said.

"And the no-show moon tonight really isn't helping. Times like these, you usually find immature brats playing hooky", Shirou said.

He turned off his flashlight and hid behind a bush.

"Come on, turn it off too."

Kazuhiko turned off his flashlight and knelt beside Shirou.

"See there? That's why I called you with me", Shirou said as he pointed in the clearing.

Where Shirou was pointing, was a group of 2 junior high students playing around in the graveyard.

"Just look at them, playing around, having no sense of decency, just knocking stuff all over the place. Then again, they're the source of entertainment."

Kazuhiko was about to press further until Shirou turned around.

"Alright, here's the game plan: I need you to flank them, get them over there without being spotted, and make them back on over here. You got that?"

Kazuhiko hesitated and nodded.

"Good. Luckily, I'll scare them so bad they won't even want to come here during the daytime."

Kazuhiko crawled over to the other side of the kids and hid behind the bush. He shook it a few times to make some noise, then waited.

"Huh? What was that?", he heard.

"Woah, don't tell me that's the yokai."

"Y-y-yoki?! Don't scare me like that."

*rustle* *rustle*

"Holy! Something's there!"

"Go check it!"

"Why should I do that? You go check it."

The two boys backed away from Kazuhiko's bush, unknowingly moving closer to Shirou.

"My… my eyes…"

"Huh?!"

The boys turned around to see Shirou dressed in a torn kimono and his hair down with geisha make-up on.

"My… eyes…"

The boys backed away.

"Holy crap! She is real!"

"Where are they?… MY EYES!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Shirou opened up his eyes to show blood coming out of his sockets and streaming down his face. The two boys ran out of the gates quickly, screaming all the way. Kazuhiko emerged out of the bush he was hiding in to see Shirou laughing and wiping the fake blood.

"Ahahaha! Did you see their faces?! Wait, you were turned around. Ah, that doesn't matter, at least they'll stop knocking so much stuff over."

"Why are you doing this?", Kazuhiko asked.

Shirou sighed.

"Look, these kids pester me all the time; They leave a complete mess and I have to clean it up in the morning before people arrive. What's wrong with shaking them up a little?"

Kazuhiko opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Geez, would ya just chill a bit? It's one of the things I swore to do anyways: Make sure the offerings stay where they are and watch over this place; I wasn't told how to do it, so it's a win-win for everybody", Shirou said as he took off the kimono and put it back in the bag.

He walked Kazuhiko back to the front door and handed him a bunch of yen bills.

"It's not much, but I need to thank you for doing this for me. Say, maybe you can stop by some other time and help me out. I'd really appreciate it", Shirou said as he smiled warmly.

Kazuhiko noticed how this was the first time he saw Shirou smile in a genuine way. Then, a voice spoke in his head.

 _You sense Shirou's reliance on you. You feel like your bond has grown deeper!_

A tarot card briefly appeared before him before time returned to it's normal pace.

"Well, you gonna leave now?", Shirou asked.

Kazuhiko snapped back to attention and nodded.

"Alright, I'll see yo some other time."

And with that, he left.

" _I'm not sure I really like him"_ , Tyr said while they walked home.

Kazuhiko sighed.

"I don't like him either, but this a social link and I can't walk away from it. If getting the Death Arcana means spending time with him, I'll do it."

 **Yoichi's POV**

Yoichi laid down on his bed trying to think. He remembered his talk with Mikan earlier that day and recalled her words:

" _He's probably thinking that you're pretty strong right now, though. Not physically, but he probably thinks you've got a strong personality."_

Yoichi sat up and made his way towards the stairs. He stepped into the kitchen and poured himself some milk. Then, he heard a knock on the door.

"Huh? Maybe it's mom."

He walked over and opened the door.

"Mom? Why are you so-"

He was cut off when he saw a middle-aged man in a suit.

"Oh, who are you?"

The man smiled stuck out his hand.

"Ah, you must be Yoichi! How nice to meet you. I'm Issai Nabuya, your mom's boss."

Yoichi took the man's hand and shook it before he drew it back and held it.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Sorry, I have a tendency to forget things. Anyways, is your mother home? I'd like to talk to her about something."

Issai walked into the house and sat down in the kitchen, leaving Yoichi at the door, slightly surprised.

"Excuse me, but my mother isn't home right now. Maybe another time-"

"Oh really? Are you sure she isn't home?"

Issai raised his eyebrow and stood up. Yoichi tensed slightly as he walked up to him.

"Tell me the truth, boy. Where is your mother?"

Issai held him up by his shirt collar and brought Yoichi's face closer to him. Yoichi tried to break free but he felt another sensation of pain in his hands.

"I already told you… She's not here…"

"Hmph"

Issai threw Yoichi to the side as he made his way upstairs.

"Hey, get back here!"

Yoichi began to throw a punch until he felt his fist stop in mid-air.

"Ah… AAAGHHH!"

His fist was caught by Issai and he felt some of his bones crushing under the grip.

"Yoichi?! What's happened?"

Outside was Yoichi's mother with a shocked expression on her face.

"Ah, so you were telling the truth after all. Well then, come with me, Hayami, and I'll forget this little outbreak from your son."

Yoichi's mother hesitated until she heard Yoichi scream again.

"Alright! Just stop doing that to him!"

Issai let go of Yoichi's hand and let him crumble to the ground in a heap.

"Now, not a single word from you or else I'll hurt him some more."

Yoichi's mother stepped back from Issai as he grabbed her wrist and turned her eyes to Yoichi. He looked up to see his mother be dragged off.

"No! Get back here you bastard! Agh!"

He tried to push himself up but hurt his hand in the process. Landing back on the ground once more, he broke into crying.

"Why… why am I not strong enough to do anything?… WHY!?"

He laid on his back and continued to cry until he felt something in his pocket. Quickly, he fished it out and held up a card with a scan code.

Briefly, he flashed back to the time in the mall.

" _Well then, I'll leave you with this. If you want this power, scan the code and follow the instructions. You'll have your hands back in no time."_

"That's what Shiroe told me", he said to himself.

" _Do you want be strong? To be stronger than you are right now?"_ A voice in his head asked him.

Yoichi bit back his tears.

"Yes…"

The voice in his head seemed dissatisfied.

" _Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you."_

"YES!"

For several moments, Yoichi couldn't hear anything. Then, the voice spoke to him one last time.

" _Then what are you waiting for?"_

 **Aaaand we are back! Whew, this is starting to wear me out, but I'm happy to do it for you guys. Don't forget to review and recommend this story to some of your friends. I love the feedback I always get from you guys and I hope that some of you will start showing some love for this fiction. Anyways, as of my reactions to the Persona 5 MC's official name, I'm more comfortable with Akira Kurusu, but Ren Amamiya's okay. Also, any of you watch Seraph of the End? Really waiting for Season 3 to come out. Anyways, Yoichi will get his Persona soon enough, but the interview will take a lot longer. 'Till then, just keep your questions ready until the announcement. See ya!**

 _Body-swap World: Johei_

"Yawn… boy, that was a weird dream last night", Johei said as he got out of bed.

He walked over to the restroom and felt like he was lighter. Dismissing it as sleep deprivation, he closed his eyes and let his muscle-memory take him to the bathroom.

*bang*

"Ow!"

Johei was sent back down onto the ground and rubbed his head.

"Geez, okay maybe that wasn't such a good idea… huh?"

He looked at the room and realized it had changed.

"Am I still asleep?"

He tried pinching himself but felt something sharp.

"OW! What the hell?"

He looked at his hands and noticed that his fingernails were much longer than they originally were. Not only that, but they were also painted.

"Oh crap… Loki, I really hope you're pranking me again."

He walked down the unfamiliar hall and somehow found the restroom, where he looked into the mirror.

"Holy crap… holycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrap-"

"Dude, what are you doing… What the fu-?!"

Johei closed his eyes and covered his face.

"Hooooooly crap, please let this be a dream…"

Johei saw that he had turned more feminine with long black hair. Loki had changed as well; He no longer had a computer screen for a face and seemed to look more terrifying than usual. Johei heard a voice from downstairs.

" **Mikan**? Are you alright?"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

 _May 13, 2021; Thursday_

 _Kyuto High; Classroom B-2_

 _(Morning)_

"And so, America being America, sails up to our country with their white fleet, points their cannons at our face, and demand that we sign their treaty!"

The male teacher at the front slammed his chalk piece down onto the ground and begins panting heavily. Johei leaned over to Kazuhiko and whispered to him.

"Boy does Mr. Jaaku hate the U.S."

"And I have perfect reasoning for that, Mr. Shiroka!"

Johei jumped in his seat and brought up his notebook to shield any oncoming chalk pieces. Kazuhiko sighed and scooted his seat away from Johei.

"The U.S. is insufferable! No matter what they already have, they won't stop taking from us! I swear, whenever they hear that land is available, they just jump onto it and point their guns at anyone who wants it!"

Mr. Juuka turned back to the chalkboard and continued to furiously write on it. Iselin laid her head down and started to doze off until Mr. Juuka readied a piece of chalk again.

*bonk*

"Ah! Ow…", Iselin said as she rubbed her head.

Daichi scoffed and continued taking notes.

"Don't act innocent; You deserved it."

Iselin hit the top of her desk with her fist and turned to him,

"Nobody asked you, birdbrain!"

"Another outburst? Absolutely unacceptable! Please stay behind after school for some more time here!"

Iselin sighed and slunk in her seat. Kazuhiko felt sympathetic and took out his phone.

Kazuhiko: We'll wait for you at the mall.

Iselin: Thx kaz.

Daichi: I'll stay behind with her; See that she doesn't get into anymore trouble.

Iselin: dis was yor fault u know…

The gang put back their phones and continued to soak in the rage-filled lecture.

 _(After School)_

"Hm… alright, that's enough", Mr. Juuka said.

Iselin got out of her seat and packed up her belongings.

"And if you ever happen to fall asleep, Ms. Bjorn, make sure it isn't in my class."

Iselin winced and walked out as soon as she could.

"Make sure it isn't in his class, as if I actually learn anything in that class except for how turned on he'll get when the U.S. falls", Iselin muttered as she walked out of the classroom.

" _Oh, come now, you don't really mean that. I'm sure you get something out of his lectures"_ , Hildr said as she floated right behind Iselin.

Iselin waved her hand.

"Whatever, let's just find the Grammar Nazi and get out of here."

Iselin turned in the direction of the shoe lockers and opened up hers. As she grabbed for her shoes, she knocked something over onto the ground.

"Hm?"

She knelt down and picked it up. On it was several lines written in quick succession. Iselin recognized it as a haiku.

 _When you feel alone,_

 _Think of your friends, Don't let go_

 _I'll be there, always_

Iselin's hand started to shake.

"How… how did this get here?…"

Hildr looked at the poem and read it.

" _Ah, a Japanese haiku. Quite simple meaning, but it does cover a lot. Iselin? Are you alright?"_

Iselin quickly stopped and put the poem into her pocket.

"N-never mind."

She closed the locker door and quickly walked out of the school. Daichi was waiting for her.

"So, you ready for some tower climbing today?"

Iselin hesitated to answer, then simply nodded. Daichi took notice, but shrugged it off.

"Eh, we don't have time right now. Everyone else's been waiting for us; Let's go."

Daichi broke into a steady running speed with Iselin close behind.

" _Master Daichi, don't you think Mistress Iselin is acting… strange?"_ , Hugin asked quietly.

Daichi shook his head.

"I told you, we don't have time for tha- why did you call her Mistress?"

The two crows quickly turned away.

" _Um, no reason really."_

Daichi sighed and continued to run while Iselin stayed a ways back.

"Yeah… you're right… not right now…"

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

Johei sat on the bench checking his phone for any messages.

"Okay, Daichi said he's on the way. Shouldn't be too long before they get here."

Mikan nodded.

"Okay, so we can finally start getting past that chained door."

Skadi looked a bit uneasy.

" _But do we know enough about him?"_ , She asked.

Mikan rested her head on her hands. She had been able to get close enough to him, but she doubted that she knew the entire story. He definitely had more that happened to him, but…

"I know the major reason why he's so depressed, everything else can be found out at a later time. Right now, however, we're just trying to cut our way through the shadows and find our way up."

"Sorry for the tardiness!", a voice called to them.

Daichi slowed down to a jog with the crow brothers behind him.

"I had to stop on several occasions cause Forest Gump here needed a rest."

Iselin glared daggers at Daichi.

"How come you're giving me nicknames now?!"

Daichi ignored her as he walked towards the mirror.

"So, are we gonna go or what? We don't have all day."

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 24_

The group finally reached the gate where they had been stopped at before. It still stood there, the same as ever; the chains still preventing it from opening.

"This is it. Okay, Mika-senpai, you're up."

Mikan nodded and reached out to the chains. She gave it a hard tug and felt it giving way until they snapped clean off and dissipated. Johei pumped his fists into the air.

"Alright! Let's get going then!"

"ROOOOOAAAAAAR!"

Daichi jumped back and readied his rapier.

"Should have expected an attack right off the bat! PERSONAS!"

He shattered his chains and sent Hugin and Munin towards the giant shadow.

" _ **Hama!** "_

" _ **Mudo!** "_

Hugin and Munin blasted the shadow head on before it attacked anyone, kicking up a blast of dust into the air.

"Did I get it?", Daichi asked.

" _No! Look out!"_

Daichi raised his weapon just in time to deflect an attack and was sent several meters away from where he originally was.

"Damn, a direct hit and it's still standing. Guess it repelled it."

The smoke cleared and the shadow revealed it's true form. First, a large fore-arm bone was seen, then a spine. Although it was connected to the ground, the shadow could still reach the others with it's long arms. Then, the skull appeared and pierced into all of their souls.

"I-is that?", Johei started.

"It's Gashadokuro!", Mikan yelled as she nocked an arrow on her bow.

She let loose the arrow, but it harmlessly bounced off the shadow's skull. It turned it's head in Mikan's direction and let it's mouth hang open.

" _ **Agidyne** "_

The fireball in it's mouth launched into Mikan's direction at a high velocity. She attempted to dodge but was caught in the shoulder.

"Augh!"

Thankfully, there weren't any serious burns, but she couldn't draw her bow very far. Kazuhiko changed his Personas.

"Alright then, _Lilith_ _!_ _ **Bufula**_ _!"_

" _Aww, come on, why don't we have some fun?",_ Lilith said seductively.

Loki jumped up and raised his hand.

" _Oh hell yes!"_

*Clonk*

" _Never mind, I'm good."_

"Just do it."

Lilith pouted and cast a Bufula in the direction of the Gashadokuro. The large shadow was sent back but quickly regained it's posture while casting Heat Riser to ready for another attack.

"Okay, so if brute force isn't going to work, time to use strategy", Kazuhiko said as he changed back to Tyr.

" _What do you have in mind, Kazuhiko?"_ , Tyr asked as he drew his sword.

"First, somebody heal Mikan and find cover. We'll need her in this fight."

Kazuhiko broke his chains and sent a flash of lightning at the Gashadokuro, stunning it for a brief amount of time. Iselin hurriedly ran over to Mikan's side and brought out some medicine.

"Alright, she can move now. What's next?", Iselin asked as she cast a sukukaja for the team.

"Tell Mikan to cast a Bufu at it's hand. We need to keep it in place."

Mikan shattered her chains in response.

"Alright, Skadi; _**Bufu**_!"

Skadi sent a freezing wave towards the hand of the giant skeleton and rooted it to the ground. The shadow struggled fiercely but did so in vain. Kazuhiko readied an attack.

"Alright, Daichi, you're up!"

Daichi nodded and sent Hugin and Munin to the monster.

" _ **Twin Assault**_!"

Hugin and Munin dove towards the skeleton and smashed into it's skull, sending it back and breaking it free of the ice. It reeled back, looking damaged, but still willing to fight. Johei walked up to kazuhiko and tapped his shoulder.

"So, what now?"

Kazuhiko sighed and answered.

"Looks like we've got a long fight ahead of us…"

 _Later…_

"*huff* *puff* *huff* That took way too long", Johei said as he leaned on his spear.

"Tell me about it. Well, at least we got some sweet stuff", Daichi said as he picked up the Gashadokuro's dropped items.

Mikan looked as if she was about to faint.

"I don't think I can go much longer. Call it a day?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, that would be best. Let's come back tomorrow to search the higher up floors. Looks like we won't have to face him again", Kazuhiko said as he jerked his thumb back to the already dissolving shadow matter.

Suddenly, they heard clapping from above.

"Well done, everyone of you. Although that was a good strategy, It's going to take a lot more than that to defeat me", Mijuku said as he stood on top of a pillar.

Daichi turned around in annoyance and glared at the hooded person.

"What do you want now?"

Mijuku feigned shock and crossed his arms and turned away.

"Why, to think that I came all this way to greet you and you treat me like this? It makes me regret ever stepping out of mission control center."

"Wait, did you just say, 'Mission Control Center'?", Kazuhiko asked.

Mijuku stood silent for several moments until…

"… No I didn't",

" _Yes you did!"_ , Loki shouted.

"Did not."

" _Did too!"_

"Not."

" _Too!"_

"Not."

" _Too!"_

" _Both of you, shut up!"_ , Skadi yelled (mostly at Loki).

Mijuku waved his hand.

"Yeah, besides, I didn't come here for the show. I'm here to tell you that your schedule should be updated as of late."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

Mijuku jumped down and landed on the ground with a slight sense of finesse.

"Well, sweet cheeks-"

"Don't you dare call me that."

"Since you so politely asked, I'll give you another hint. Your phones."

Kazuhiko pulled out his phone and jumped at the new schedule.

"He's right, it says we only have four days left", he said worriedly.

Johei jumped at the statement.

"What?! But we had, like, another week or so!"

He looked at Mijuku accusingly.

"Wait, this has got to be your doing! You're just trying to stop us from saving him!"

Mijuku shook his head.

"What? Trying to stop you? I would never do something like that; We need him for the plan, anyways."

Once again, Kazuhiko questioned him.

"And what plan is that?", Mikan asked.

"Nothing that you need to know right now. The point is, pull your shit together, and save Japanese Doctor Strange. It'll be better in the long run. Now that that's over, toodles!"

Mijuku threw a smoke bomb onto the ground and disappeared as soon as everyone opened their eyes.

"He's gonna be a real hassle."

 _(Evening)_

 _Nuzoko Mall District_

"Man, I hate that guy", Johei said for, what seemed to be, the hundredth time after they had encountered Mijuku.

Mikan sighed as she slung her bag over her back. Skadi rolled her eyes in annoyance as she heard Johei grovel on some more.

" _Will you ever shut up?"_ , She asked, although didn't expect an answer.

Iselin sighed as if she was disappointed.

"And here I was looking forward to fighting a lot of shadows today. Oh well."

She took out a cigarette and lit it with a match. Daichi cringed and put his bag down on the bench.

"Well then, I guess I'll go back to the dorms. See you guys tomorrow."

He waved to everyone as Hugin and Munin followed behind him. Iselin nodded as she followed him as well to the dormitory.

"I'll catch you guys later", she said as Hildr followed her.

Mikan suddenly stumbled down onto the ground where she quickly caught herself.

"Senpai!", Johei said as he rushed over to her.

She waved him away and slowly got back up.

"Don't worry. I'm just a little tuckered out."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, that last fight really sapped you out."

He turned to Johei.

"Hey, go get some rest at home. Leave Mika-senpai to me."

Johei nodded.

"Alright, be careful Kaz."

As Johei walked off, Kazuhiko could hear Loki protesting.

" _What?! You're just gonna give up a golden opportunity like that?! Get back over there soldier! Fight your battles! Earn your medals! Make your way to her bed!"_

"Really not helping, Loki", he said.

Kazuhiko slung Mikan's arm over his shoulder and let her lean on him as he walked her back home.

"Thanks for this; I didn't think I'd be able to make it back on my own."

"Don't mention it. Besides, you guys nominated me as leader, right? I should take care of you guys when you need help."

Mikan smiled as they continued to make their way back to her house.

"So", Kazuhiko started,

"How are you doing, ever since we save you from their?"

Mikan's expression downed.

"Well, I've been working on being more self-dependent, but I don't know what I should try. I mean, I'm thinking of trying self-defense classes since I won't have to rely on anyone else."

Kazuhiko stopped so that she could catch her breath and continue.

"I talked with Skadi on several occasions on how I could be stronger, and she told me if I focus more on my physical strength, I would view myself as a more stronger person."

She paused for a moment and turned to him.

"Say, what do you think makes people strong?"

Kazuhiko looked at the ground for a moment, thinking to himself.

"In all honesty," he started,

"The people I know make me stronger. I guess they kind of root me to my goals."

Mikan nodded.

"Yeah, I kind of expected that response from you. You really do understand people a lot. But should I try going for self-defense?"

"If it makes you have confidence in yourself, go ahead", Kazuhiko replied.

They continued to walk until they stopped in front of Mikan's house.

"Thanks for hearing me out, Kazuhiko-san. Sorry for taking so much of your time."

Kazuhiko waved his hand away and smiled.

"Oh no, it's nothing, really."

Mikan smiled and suddenly, a flash of light resounded. Kazuhiko began to hear a voice in his head as a card appeared before him.

 _You sense Mikan's gratitude; You feel like your bond has grown deeper!_

"Kazuhiko-san? Are you alright?"

Kazuhiko blinked for several moments until he was brought back to the time. Mikan stopped waving her hand in front of his face and let out a sigh of relief.

"You weren't responding to anything back there. You sure you're alright?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Well, I'd better get back. I'll see you tomorrow, senpai!"

And with that, Kazuhiko headed back towards the Hotel.

 **Yoichi's POV**

 _Yoichi's House_

Yoichi held his phone in his shaking hand. In the other, he held the scan code that Shiroe had given him. He had been in this position for quite some time now, just sitting on his bed, waiting for the burst of courage he needed to take action.

He checked the window again to see if his mother was just arriving home, but he didn't see anyone. Ever since last night, his mother hadn't come home. He did get a few text messages from her, saying how she was fine, but she told him that she had to spend a few days away from home because Issai wanted her to stay behind. His hand trembled again, but this time, it was out of anger.

"Damn asshole. What the hell is he doing to you, mom?"

He opened up the camera on his phone and scanned the code without another thought.

"I swear, I'll protect you, mom. No matter what!"

Then, he saw an app that suddenly appeared on his screen. Hesitantly, how opened it and saw the instructions.

"Mirror Dimension… Navigator?"

He swiped around to try and make sense of the functions, until something caught his eye.

"Suicide Order? What's that?"

He tapped it, and up popped a new screen. He scrolled to the instructions and read a few lines.

"To initiate the suicide… of another human being? This is… kinda messed up…", Yoichi said as he went back to the home page of the app.

Then, he checked some other functions until he got down to what he was looking for.

"Ah, here it is. Entering the Mirror Dimension."

As soon as he tapped the icon, his phone started to make some noise.

"Congratulations! If you are watching this video, you have the eligibility to enter the Mirror Dimension! Not only that, but you can also unlock the power of your Persona!"

Yoichi looked confused.

"Persona…? I just want to get that same power that Shiroe had."

"So, here's how you enter the Mirror Dimension."

Yoichi tensed up.

"Alright, this is it! Once I'm in the Mirror Dimension, I can find this power and I'll go back here. It probably has a complex process so I should be ready for anything! Let's do this!", He thought to himself.

"Find any random mirror and walk through it. It's that easy!"

Yoichi stayed silent for several seconds until…

"Are you serious…?"

He walked over to the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He stood there for several seconds until he turned down to look at his hand.

"I mean, it's just crazy, right? There's no way this could work."

Yoichi began to doubt himself. Maybe Shiroe was just some drug dealer that snuck something into his drink while he wasn't looking. Maybe t was all just a dream. It couldn't be real… could it?

His phone continued the video.

"Oh, and one more thing: If you think that we're lying, **Just go ahead and see for yourself** "

The video ended with Yoichi picking up his phone again. He held up his hand to see any difference, but nothing had changed.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt just to try at least once…"

He stuck out his hand…

And pressed it firmly on the solid glass.

Yoichi let out a sigh.

"Why did I even believe this crap for a second? Huh?"

Yoichi suddenly felt a liquid-like sensation under the palm of his hand. He turned and saw his fingers sinking into the mirror. At first, he felt like panicking and pulling away, but then he stopped himself.

"This might be my only chance; I can't stop now!"

With a more confident look on his face, Yoichi stepped closer and went deeper into the mirror until his entire arm was inside. Then, he stepped onto the table and entered.

 _May 14, 2021; Friday_

 _(Morning)_

 _Kyuto High, Classroom A-3_

Mikan sank into her seat, still feeling the effects of yesterdays so-called 'work-out'. She felt someone walk next to her and turned around.

"How's it going, Mika-chan?", Shita asked her.

Mikan mustered up a smile and sat up.

"It's going good. I just stayed up a little too late yesterday studying, so I'm a little tired."

Shita looked impressed at her friend.

"Wow, you really are studious about your work, aren't you?"

"Attention class! Let's get into our seats!", Ms. Yuko said as she clapped her hands to gather attention.

Shita walked back to her desk and set her stuff down as Ms. Yuko was getting an attendance sheet.

"Huh, looks like Miryoku-san isn't here today…"

Mikan sat up straight; Skadi hovered closer to her.

" _What do you think happened to him?"_

Mikan quickly took out her phone and opened the Mirror Dimension app. Yoichi's deadline showed that there were only two more days left until time ran out. Mikan gritted her teeth and quickly put her phone back into her pocket

 _(Lunch time)_

"What?! He's already in there?!", Johei exclaimed.

He had been chewing a melon bread when Mikan told everyone the news. The result was melon bread scattered all over the ground and anyone within a three feet radius.

*conk*

"Ow!"

Mikan hit Johei upside the head with her book as she continued.

"We need to get to him as soon as possible; He won't last very long by himself."

Iselin nodded.

"But what troubles me is the deadline; We still had two more weeks and somehow it jumps to two days. What happened in that time?"

Everyone looked frustrated just thinking about it. Eventually, Daichi broke the silence.

"Well, whatever it is, let's find out after we rescue Yoichi. He might have some idea about what's going on."

Everyone turned to Kazuhiko who sat quietly.

" _Looks like everyone has come to a decision"_ , Tyr told him.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"But for now, let's just get him home after saving him. We can ask him questions once he feels up to it."

Everyone nodded and heard the lunch bell ring.

"Alright then. See you guys at the mall?"

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 30_

Kazuhiko placed his hand on the chains to open the last door. Daichi had notified the group that Yoichi was most likely going to be behind it and that they should get ready.

"Don't worry, I'm all topped up on energy right now", Mikan said.

"It's gonna take a lot to sap all the life out of me."

Kazuhiko smiled reassuringly and pulled the chains off.

*clang*

The doors opened slowly to show Yoichi standing up. His clothes were slightly ripped, but he seemed fine altogether.

"Miryoku-san! Are you alright?" Johei asked.

Yoichi turned around and greeted them with a smile.

"Well, other than a few scratches, I'm fine! Wait, how did you guys get in here?"

His gaze wavered over them until his eyes stopped at Mikan.

"Echihiro-chan…? So you knew about this place?"

Mikan nodded.

"Yes, and it's very dangerous here! Just come with us and we'll help you get out."

Yoichi frowned.

"Get out? I mean, yeah I understand it's dangerous, but that's just the toll I need to pay for strength."

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"Toll?"

Yoichi sighed and shook his head.

"You guys really don't know that much about this place, do you?"

He placed his hands at his sides and faced them.

"To gain a Persona, one must interact with their Reflection. Whenever the Reflection deems that their owner deserves this power, they will turn into a Persona and accompany heir user through life."

He stopped and put his hands in his pockets.

"Now do you get what I'm saying?"

Johei looked quizzically at Yoichi.

"Wait, so you came in here by your own free will? How?"

"Ah…"

Yoichi held up a finger and dug into his back pocket. He pulled out something very familiar.

"That's-"

"Yep!", Yoichi said.

"I met a guy who was kind enough to give it to me. He said, if I want to be stronger, I should just follow these rules and it would lead me to the power I sought."

Daichi shuddered.

"Who gave you that…?"

Yoichi waved his hand aside to avoid the subject.

"It doesn't matter right now. The thing is, I just want that power-"

"STOP!"

Daichi started to breath heavily.

"Was the person who gave you that card called Shiroe?"

Yoichi sighed as he gave in to the second-year's demands.

"Yes. That's his name. Anyway-"

"Don't go any further. That man is evil; He just wants you to do this so you can be consumed!"

Yoichi's face then scrunched up.

"What are you talking about?"

Iselin stepped forward to try to get closer to him.

"What he's saying is that Shiroe didn't do t out of the goodness of his heart. Just doing this is giving him what he wants. Come with us and you'll be safe."

Yoichi's eyes started to darken as he turned his head down.

"So… you're telling me to run away?"

Iselin felt as if she hit a nerve, but continued on.

"No, I'm not-"

"Remember what I told you Yoichi? You're already strong in many other ways. You don't need this power-", Mikan started.

"But I couldn't stop him with my strength right now."

Mikan stopped. Yoichi clenched his fist in anger.

"If I'm so strong right now, then why did I lose…? Why did I lose to that son of a bitch Issai?!"

Mikan stepped back in shock as the air around Yoichi started to darken.

"It's because I wasn't strong enough! This power isn't just for my selfish gains, but it's for those around me! And nobody's gonna stop me from getting it!"

Yoichi turned around and started to break out into a run. Everybody quickly followed him.

"Yoichi! Wait! We can help you! Just stop!", Kazuhiko yelled to him.

" _If I need strength, then stopping here would defeat the whole purpose"_ , a voice suddenly said.

Yoichi stopped and looked right in front of him.

" _Right now, I'm not strong enough. But with the power a Persona can give me, now that's what I need…"_

Kazuhiko's group stopped right behind Yoichi.

"What's going on?", Mikan asked.

Kazuhiko looked past Yoichi in horror.

" _You want power? Well then, take my hand. I'll give you the power you need"_ , Yoichi's reflection said.

Shadows started to climb onto his legs, but Yoichi didn't seem to care. He reached out and took hold of his reflection's hand. The shadows started to make their way onto his arm as well as they enveloped both him and his reflection into an ebony case.

"Alright, give me your power; Become my Persona", he said as he smiled.

 **Aaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the late update, guys. Just got so much work when I came back to school, but I know that's not an excuse. Lately, I've been working to get back in the groove, but rest assured; I'll be back in no time. Please review after you read this chapter as always; Your contributions are important to me! Thanks so much for all you guys have done for me and this fiction. See ya!**

 _Body-swap world: Iselin and Daichi_

"*yawn* what a night. Suddenly I feel more refreshed than usual."

She walked towards the restroom and washed her face. When she brought down her hands, the reflection in the mirror surprised her.

"KYAAAAHH!", she yelled as she fell back.

She heard some noise back at the bed.

" _Iselin!"_

" _What's"_

" _Going"_

" _On?"_

"Huh?"

She turned to see two crows near the bed, wobbling to get up.

" _Why am I so dizzy? Did you sneak another cigarette last night?"_

Iselin shook her head.

"It's gotta take more than a simple cigarette to make me hallucinate this much."

She stepped forward and looked at the two crows.

"I guess you're in the same boat."

" _Huh?"_

" _What"_

" _Are"_

" _You"_

" _Talking"_

" _About?"_

" _...WHAT!?"_ , both the crows cried and jumped away from each other.

Iselin sighed.

"Yeah, I was kind of surprised too."

The crows turned to Iselin and jumped.

" _AH! Daichi! What are you doing in Iselin's room?!"_

Iselin held up her hands.

"Hold on! It's just me! Somehow, I'm in Daichi's body!"

After calming down, Iselin went to the mirror and looked once more at her reflection.

"Now that I think about it, what does Daichi look like? I'm actually kinda curious…"

 _Meanwhile…_

" _Lady Iselin! What are you doing in Daichi's room!?"_

"I told you! I'm not Iselin!", Daichi yelled at the crow brothers inside Hildr.

They had been going at this for about ten minutes, the crows continuously arguing with the Daichi in Iselin's body.

" _But your chest is significantly bigger than Daichi's!"_

"I don't even know how this happened, but I'm Daichi! Why don't you take a look at yourself!"

Hildr(?) looked in the mirror and paused for several moments.

" _Brother…"_ , Hugin said.

" _What happened?…"_ , Munin asked.

The brothers stopped talking again until…

" _We have breasts?!"_

Daichi face-palmed himself.

"That's the only thing you can think of?!"

He sighed and got dressed.

"Maybe the same thing happened to Iselin. I should go check on her…"

Daichi stepped out of Iselin's room and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Iselin, are you in there?"

There was no answer, but there were a few thumps.

"If you're in there, answer me! Something weird happened. Did something happen to you?"

" _Yes!"_

" _Something"_

" _Happened!"_

Daichi raised his eyebrow.

"Hildr? Is that you? Open up the door."

He saw the doorknob turn just a bit and he opened it himself.

"What the hell?"

He saw his body on the floor, shirtless with the nostrils streaming blood down.

"What happened here?", Daich asked the Hildr crows.

" _Well, let's just say curiosity does kill the cat…"_


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Of Kings and Pawns

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 30_

"AAAAAAAUUUGHH!", Yoichi yelled as the shadow mass started to cover him.

His face was then covered as the second layer began to become applied. Johei readied his chains to shatter until Mikan stopped him.

"What are you doing?!", he asked.

"We need to stop the transformation!"

Mikan shook her head.

"It's too late right now! You could risk hurting him!"

Johei grit his teeth and readied his spear. Now, Yoichi and his reflection made a large portion of shadow slime. It grew taller until it attempted to form a humanoid figure.

" _Finally! My long awaited strength! I'll use this power to the fullest! And I won't let you get in my way!"_

Kazuhiko changed his Persona to Boreas and broke his chains.

" _ **Bufula**_ _!"_ , he yelled as the North wind cast a freezing wind in Yoichi's direction.

Suddenly, the wind was stopped by a giant ebony piece; Johei looked shocked.

"What the hell? Is that a rook?!"

Kazuhiko squinted and looked at the castle-like object. At the top, there were two fingers holding it in place. As the smoke cleared, the fingers connected to a hand which eventually led to a body. A dark violet crown was shown at the top of a rotting head. The head was sewn to the neck where the body seemed to be made of synthetic fibers. The body was clothed in a robe made of multiple cloths stitched together to make a violent nightmarish shred of clothing. At the bottom of the robe, to bare feet were seen. Yoichi turned to pick up another piece.

" _Command, Pawn!"_

Suddenly, a pawn piece was sent straight towards the group. Kazuhiko ran to the side yelling, "Everyone, get clear from each other!"

The piece landed on the spot that they all had been previously standing on. Johei broke his chains and summoned Loki.

" _ **Garula**_ _!"_

Loki cast a powerful whirlwind towards Yoichi, but it was quickly intercepted by the Rook.

" _I won't let you get close to me that easily!"_ , he said as he cast his hand towards another piece.

A knight piece launched itself into the air and landed on the ground with such force that it created a shock-wave that sent everybody off their feet.

"Agh!"

Iselin was sent flying into the wall and fell down in a heap.

"Iselin!", Daichi yelled.

Iselin quickly got back up to her feet and broke her chains.

"I'm fine! Just keep going!"

She cast a Media for the entire team before running back into battle. Yoichi sent a Bishop in Johei's direction in which Kazuhiko shouted to him.

"Johei! Look out!"

Johei turned, saw the giant piece headed towards him, and ran.

"Crap! This thing won't get off me!", Johei yelled as he ran back to the door.

*SLAM*

"Oof!"

Johei somehow slammed into nothing and crumpled onto the floor.

"What?… what the hell?"

He pounded his hand onto the invisible wall and frowned.

"Damnit, why now?!"

" _Uh, Johei? Why is the ground checkered black and white?"_ , Loki asked.

Johei looked at the ground and noticed the large squares that were on the ground.

"Are we on… a chessboard?"

" _Command Bishop!"_

*WHAM*

The bishop landed right next to Johei and stopped as he quickly scampered away.

"Um, does anybody know how to play chess?", Johei asked as he cast a Garula at the bishop.

Iselin blocked an oncoming attack by Yoichi and replied.

"We're going to have to play our way through this?! Crap, I'm doomed."

" _ **Hamaon**!"_ , Yoichi boomed as he brought his Queen forth.

The queen piece charged a light-like energy towards the top of it's crown and cast it towards Kazuhiko.

"A-alright! _**Change**_!", he said.

His chains changed into a different design as a new Persona blocked the attack.

" _Hmph, I don't even know why you keep me around anymore except for taking a beating"_ , Daedalus said.

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Well, because you have _**Light Resist**_. I just need to get you more experience so you can learn new moves."

"Incoming!"

Kazuhiko dodge rolled to the side to avoid a Rook that was aimed at him.

" _Pawn 4, **Swift Slash**!"_

Kazuhiko looked to his side and barely succeeded in blocking the pawn's sword stroke.

"Ugh!"

"Kaz!"

Kazuhiko flew back several feet and landed on the ground. He picked himself back up again and leaned on his sword.

"I'm fine; Just keep focusing on the pieces!"

At that moment, the bishop shifted it's position to face Johei, who looked worn out.

"Dammit, Kaz, I don't think I can go on any longer!"

"Move onto the white space!"

Johei looked confused when Mikan yelled at him.

"…What?"

"Just do it!", she yelled back.

The bishop was on the move towards him at top speed. Not seeing any other choice, Johei jumped ont the white space and closed his eyes.

*clomp*

"Holy crap, I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

*clomp*

"Please, not yet. I have so many things to do, things I want to see!"

*clomp*

"Guys, I want you to know… that I always had a fetish for maids! Please, on my funeral, I want all the girls to attend in maid costumes!"

"WHAT?!", Mikan yelled.

Johei opened his eyes and looked at Mikan.

"So you were the one that kept putting maid costumes in my backpack last year?!"

"Wait, that's brilliant!", Kazuhiko said.

Mikan was going to aim an arrow at him until Kazuhiko waved his hands.

"Wait! I mean the orders you gave to Johei!"

Johei then noticed all the movement around him. The bishop was circling around him in a diagonal direction; Always landing on black spaces but not being able to touch the white ones.

"Holy shit… you're right!"

He started to celebrate.

"Yeah! I'm still alive!… Wait, did I just say all that aloud?"

Then, another bishop came into view; One that was on a white space. It launched itself into the air and was about to descend onto Johei until…

*THOCK*

An arrow hit it on the side and it went a few spaces too far. Johei turned to Mikan with a grateful look until he met her icy gaze.

"I swear, I will kill you after this…", She said menacingly.

"*gulp*"

Iselin broke her chains and cast a quick Agi before running to the rest of the group.

"I believe we have a plan now?", she asked as she brandished her knife.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. Just don't blame me if any of you get hurt; This is a game of sacrifices, after all."

Johei started to laugh nervously as he heard Kazuhiko say that.

"Ha ha ha, you're kidding right?"

"Maybe…"

Johei shivered at the thought and chugged down a MadBull. Everyone formed a tight circle and faced the pieces in front of them. The rook positioned itself for attack until…

"Alright! Scatter!"

Iselin and Daichi moved into the direction of the white square bishop side by side. Yoichi shook his head as he held out his arm.

" _You guys are absolute idiots. Command Bishop!"_

The bishop sprang into the air and was about to squash onto Daichi.

"Now, go to the black squares!", Kazuhiko quickly yelled.

Daichi and Iselin quickly dodged and broke their chains.

" _ **Twin Assault**!"_

" _ **Swift Strike**!"_

They unleashed their attacks onto the bishop causing it to splinter into pieces. Yoichi cursed and sent two more pieces in their direction.

" _Command Rook and Knight!"_

Mikan stepped in and broke her chains.

" _ **Bufula**!"_

The ice attack froze the knight in place as the rook moved towards Johei.

"Come and get me, ass-wipe!", Johei said as he beckoned towards the Rook.

The rook, although it lacked a face, looked agitated and slid towards Johei at top speed. Johei smiled and simply stepped onto the square that was diagonally in front of him to the right. The rook stopped quickly and attempted to make another move until Kazuhiko broke his chains.

"My move! **Sonic Punch**!"

Tyr appeared and gave the Rook a solid right thrust which smacked it into the Knight, breaking both of the pieces. Their shards soon melted into nothing as the team regrouped in front of Yoichi and his remaining pieces.

"Just a couple pawns left; they should be easy", Iselin said.

"But that Queen's gonna be a problem", Daichi jumped in.

"Not only does she have a wide range of movement, but she's also the main spell-caster."

Kazuhiko narrowed his eyes.

"Yoichi himself has yet to do anything…"

The large crowned shadow seemed to be daunting, yet it hadn't made a single step in any direction.

"What's he hiding?"

Yoichi quickly shuddered and cast his arms out.

" _C-command! Queen troop with me! All pawns move out! Get to the end!"_

Kazuhiko broke his chains to defend against the oncoming pawns.

"Don't let a single one pass! He's trying to bring back his old troops!"

Mikan quickly cast a Mabufu to stop the pawns, but they were suddenly buffed by the queen.

" _ **Masukukaja**_ _!"_ , Yoichi said as the pawns suddenly dodged the freezing ice blast.

Kazuhiko cursed and switched his Persona to Masamune.

" _ **Giant Slice**!"_

" _Right away, Kazuhiko-dono"_ , Masamune said as he drew his blade.

A good deal of the pawns were destroyed except for three of them that had turned into two Rooks and a Bishop.

"Crap! Incoming!", Johei said as he readied his spear for defense.

The rooks positioned themselves a far distance away, but they were just on the rows next to the group.

"… What the hell?", Daichi thought.

Kazuhiko looked at the Bishop which had also started to move and positioned itself on the square diagonally next to them.

"Wait a second…"

He turned to look at the queen which was already on the move.

"Shit!"

He dodge-rolled out of the way before he was caught inside.

"Guys, don't move, you're in a trap!"

"Huh?"

Johei attempted to step to another square until he realized that he would get hit.

"Dammit! We can't go anywhere!", Iselin said in frustration.

" _It seems that you four are in checkmate"_ , Yoichi said triumphantly as he nodded towards the queen.

The queen charged a Mazio attack and unleashed on Iselin, Mikan, Johei, and Daichi.

"AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGHHHHH!"

"GUYS!"

Johei shook his head.

"Don't worry about us! You said there would be some sacrifice!"

Daichi nodded as he withstood the attack.

"Go! Don't waste your chance!"

Kazuhiko hesitated for a moment until Iselin shouted to him.

"Come on! You're the leader for a reason! You had to make hard decisions!"

Mikan made eye contact with him.

"We came here to rescue Yoichi! Coming back was our second priority; leave us if it means you can save him!"

Tears started to come down Kazuhiko's face as he turned towards Yoichi.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He let his sword scratch the floor as he ran towards the behemoth shadow.

" _Come on! I've already got the power I need! I can wipe you out in an instant all by myself!"_ , Yoichi said as he readied his towering sword.

"You're wrong!", Kazuhiko said.

He leaped into the air and swung his sword down vertically. Yoichi attempted to block the stroke, but his sword jerked back.

" _W-what?!"_

Yoichi stepped back one square and prepared to block again. Kazuhiko easily batted his sword away, much to Yoichi's even greater shock.

" _What the hell?! What did you do to me?!"_

Kazuhiko smiled and stood at his spot.

"You're the King", he simply said.

Yoichi looked confused then advanced with his large sword. Kazuhiko held up his sword to block with one hand and smiled.

"Although the King is the most important piece, he is also the weakest and can't do anything by himself."

Yoichi continued to strike with his sword, but his attacks kept getting deflected by Kazuhiko. Kazuhiko turned back to his friends who were still trapped, but held their own.

"This also means", he continued.

"That if I defeat you…"

He deflected the attack once more before running towards Yoichi.

"Then we win!"

He leaped into the air and unleashed a series of slashes at the chinks in his armor. Back and forth his sword sang, cutting through the shadow's flesh and rendering it's armor to pieces. At last, the chestplate fell off and Kazuhiko plunged his arm into the dark matter. He felt around for a hand or arm and pulled Yoichi out. Immediately, the other pieces crumbled into ash as Yoichi emerged, and the rest of the team was free to go.

"Yeah! Way to go, Kaz!", Johei said as he ran over to his friend.

Kazuhiko smiled and sheathed his sword. Then, he turned to Yoichi who was weeping on his knees.

"All that power… and I couldn't even defeat you?… *sniff*"

The rest of the team lined up in front of him and let him cry for some moments.

"I'll… I'll never be able… to protect anyone… I won't be able to become strong anymore!"

He looked up at Kazuhiko and focused his anger on him.

"Why are you doing this?! I just want to be strong! Is it a crime to pursue my wishes?!"

"But Yoichi, you're already strong", Mikan said.

"I already told you that before, remember?"

Yoichi shook his head.

"You don't understand… My mother worked for a man called Issai. One night, he cam to… my house… he wanted to know… where my mother was…"

"And you told him that he had no right to do anything to her, didn't you?", Johei asked.

Yoichi nodded.

"Yes. He got angry and took advantage of my weakness to beat me up. My mom came into the middle of it… and she saw me suffering…"

Yoichi paused to wipe his eyes and calm his breathing.

"She said that she would do anything as long as he stopped hurting me… and it was all my fault… because I wasn't strong enough…"

Yoichi started to cry again and pound the ground with his fists.

"This was my only chance to become strong! And now, my mother's going to have to be his bitch now that I can't do anything to defend myself!"

Johei was about to step forward to help Yoichi, but Mikan stopped him and shook her head.

"Please… I'm just dead weight now… If I can't be strong, then I deserve to die… just leave me here… those things will finish me off."

Mikan, enraged, stepped forward and slapped Yoichi.

"OW! What was that for?!", Yoichi asked.

"For being an idiot!", she yelled back at him.

"If you're saying that if somebody is born weak and they deserve to die, you're an absolute idiot!"

Mikan started crying and fell to her knees in front of Yoichi. She slapped him again, but this time, there wasn't any force behind it. She continued to do this until her hand fell.

"I was weak before… someone else died for me so I could become stronger… Your mother did that so you could have more time to become stronger, so are you just going to throw away her sacrifice and spit in her face by dying?!"

Yoichi looked at the ground with guilt and didn't answer. Mikan prepared to slap him again, but Kazuhiko stopped her hand.

"Senpai, that's enough."

He helped Mikan back to her feet and knelt in front of Yoichi.

"Now, I know that I'm an underclassmen, but there's still a lot you need to learn."

He turned to the shards of the chess pieces that remained.

"See those chess pieces? That was your main line of attack in our last battle. You lacked the power to fight, but they lacked the power of strategy. With you commanding them, you were a nearly unstoppable force. You complimented each other. That's what true strength is."

Yoichi looked up at Kazuhiko's face.

"True strength isn't about being able to overcome your weaknesses, but it's about helping others with their's. And when it comes to that, you are the strongest out of us all."

Yoichi pondered over Kazuhiko's words and smiled.

"Man… I can't believe I was so blind… Sorry Echihiro-chan, you were right; I am a pretty big idiot."

He chuckled to himself and attempted to stand up.

"I'm sorry I put all of you through this. Please, you don't have to accept this, but thank you for saving me."

Everyone watched as Yoichi attempted to bow and stumbled on his feet. Kazuhiko quickly caught him and let him rest on his shoulder.

"Thanks. I really owe you guys."

"Well then, now that he's ready, let's get onto the main event!", a voice suddenly said behind them.

Kazuhiko turned around just in time to dodge a poisma attack. Mijuku started to chuckle as he swung his Kusari-gamas in circles.

"Alright then, no holding back!"

He swung his arm forward, making the hand scythe swing in an arc towards Kazuhiko and Yoichi.

*CLANG*

Johei blocked the attack at the last second with his spear and glared at Mijuku.

"What the hell, man? We just got him and now you want to fight us?"

Mijuku snapped his finger and summoned a large Persona.

" _ **Stagnant Air**_ "

His Persona ripped out of the ground and slammed it's large palms on the tiles. It's body was adorned with gems and jewels, while it's head was a two piece mask that was black. It's face portion and jaw part were sewn together by thread, but allowed it to open it's mouth and breath a heavy gas on them all.

"Agh! *cough* *cough*"

Johei was the first in line to face the gas and started to cough violently.

"Johei!", Kazuhiko called.

Johei shook his head.

"No! Don't touch it! *cough* *cough*"

Kazuhiko and the rest moved back until the gas dissipated. Then, they came to rejoin Johei.

"What was that?", Iselin asked.

"I don't know… I just feel pretty weak…", Johei said as he leaned on his spear.

"…what?… what the hell is this…?", Yoichi said to himself.

Kazuhiko turned to Yoichi and raised his eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

Yoichi shook his head.

"Sorry, it's nothing."

Kazuhiko moved to the wall and let Yoichi down.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you here until we finish him off."

Yoichi looked saddened, but nodded as Kazuhiko went to rejoin the rest of the group. He pulled out his sword and let it hiss from being drawn out of the sheath.

"Let's get this over with."

He lunged towards Mijuku and executed a downward slice, but Mijuku quickly drew back his scythes to block the attack. Johei followed up by running to their side and attempting to skewer Mijuku before he dodged out of the way. An arrow just missed his head as he got back to his feet and he twisted his chain to stop an oncoming thrust from Iselin's knife. The chains wrapped around her forearm as he pulled on them to stop her from advancing. The result was a slight cracking sound and Iselin yelping in pain.

"AGH! Son of a Bitch!"

Daichi yelled as he advanced with his rapier, stabbing at Mijuku to drive him back. As soon he maintained a good enough distance…

" _ **Mudo**_!"

" _ **Hama**!"_

The crows flapped their wings and sent a wave of light and dark energy towards Mijuku.

"I'm not gonna stand around and wait for you to attack!", Mijuku said as he dodged the waves and broke his chains.

"Utgard-Loki! _**Vile Assault**_!"

His Persona popped out of the ground and unleashed a flurry of punches on Hugin and Munin. The crow brothers hit the wall and fell to the floor, breathing heavily.

" _I… believe… a respite… is in order"_ , Hugin said as he tried to catch his breath.

" _Quite right… Give us a moment…"_ , Munin said.

Daichi cursed to himself.

"Guys, I'm not gonna be able to fight for a little while. Any bright ideas, Kaz?"

Kazuhiko barely managed to block a Scythe attack with his blade, but felt it cut a deep wound in his arm.

"He's too unpredictable! I can't make a plan right now!"

Mijuku chuckled to himself.

"Too unpredictable? Well then, how about we up the stakes?"

He pulled on his chains and summoned his Persona.

" _ **Sukukaja**!"_

Mijuku smiled and soon, he was nowhere to be seen. Only his Persona was left. Suddenly, Johei cried out in pain.

"Hagh!"

He knelt down and held his arm. Blood was pouring from the cut and he turned around to try and see where the attack came from.

"Over here!"

Iselin quickly ducked and felt his scythe cut a half inch of her hair.

"Asshole's way too fast! We can't catch him now!", Iselin said as she brandished her knife.

Kazuhiko focused his eyes on a spot until he saw a faint movement.

"There!"

He swung his sword and felt a quick connection before getting smacked on the side of the face.

"You sly mother-fucker! This was my only cloak! Now I'm royally pissed off!", Mijuku said as he returned to his Persona.

He broke his chains Utgard-Loki began to charge a massive amount of energy.

"Wipe 'em off the face of the planet!", he said as he pointed towards Kazuhiko's group.

"Kazuhiko!", Yoichi yelled.

Kazuhiko turned around and looked at Yoichi, who attempted to stand up.

"What the hell are you doing?! Run!", he said to the upperclassman.

Yoichi shook his head.

"Just attack that orb head-on!"

Johei ran to Kazuhiko's side and held up his spear for defense.

"Are you crazy?! The only thing we can do right now is pray we don't get killed!"

Kazuhiko looked into Yoichi's eyes and spoke.

"Look, the mission was to save you; Coming back ourselves was a different matter."

"Just trust me!"

Yoichi tightened his hands into fists and looked right back at Kazuhiko. Mikan stood by his side and nodded.

"We don't have anything to lose, so what's the worst that could happen?", she asked with a smile.

Kazuhiko hesitated, then sighed and formed the chains.

"Alright guys, here's what we're gonna do: Attack that large amount of energy in the mole's hands. Use your Personas so you don't get hurt. _**Zionga**_!

"We're really doing this, huh? Ah, why the hell not?", Iselin said as she broke her chains.

" _ **Agilao**!"_ , Hildr said as she cast a blast of fire.

Johei broke his chains and cast a Garula towards the massing ball of energy. Mikan sent a freezing wind in the direction o Utgard-Loki and turned to Yoichi.

"I hope you have something planned."

Yoichi smiled.

"Don't worry, everything's going as planned."

The attacks all merged together and was absorbed by the Persona. Johei started to panic.

"Uh, was that supposed to happen? I think we just signed our death contracts!"

Mijuku laughed as he saw the effect.

"What was that; a last resort attack?! Pathetic!"

Yoichi shook his head.

"Don't worry! It's fine! He won't be able to stabilize that much power."

"Huh?"

Mijuku turned back to Utgard-Loki with a worried look at him.

"Uh, Utgard? You… you can handle that… right?"

His Persona didn't answer as it struggled under the weight of the massive force.

" _I… can't control it! It's gonna blow!"_

Mijuku brought his arms up just in time to cover his eyes from a blinding flash that was followed by a ground-breaking explosion. When he brought down his arms, his Persona lay on the ground, weakened and incapacitated. He turned to the SPT with a firestorm in his eyes.

"You… YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

He broke his chains and made his Persona muster up a Sukunda before disappearing.

"Everyone, backs in a circle!", Kazuhiko said.

"No, keep your formation!", Yoichi said.

Kazuhiko looked at Yoichi questionably, but dropped it.

"So, what's your plan?"

Yoichi looked around and pointed at a black square.

"Echihiro-chan, freeze that square!"

Mikan nodded as she summoned Skadi.

" _ **Bufu**!"_

In a split second, Mijuku appeared on the square with his foot caught in the ice.

"Dammit!"

"Hugin! Munin!", Daichi said as he pulled his chains apart.

" _ **Hamaon**!"_

" _ **Mudoon**!"_

Mijuku cursed and pulled on his leg with immense force until…

*SNAP*

"AGH!"

He was able to dodge the attack at the last second, but he ended up dislocating hes foot from his ankle. Mijuku held onto his foot with agony as he tried to relocate it.

"Now Kazuhiko!"

Mijuku turned around and saw Kazuhiko's chains dissipate with Tyr forming; already drawing his sword.

" _ **Cross Slash**!"_

Tyr, faster than the eye could process, dealt two slashes with his sword and sheathed it. At first, nothing happened, until…

*SHINK*

*SHING*

*THUMP*

Mijuku, too exhausted to cry in agony, fell to the floor on his knees.

"Haghh… gugh… you… bastards… *cough* *cough*"

He started to cough up blood and hold his abdomen. The team walked up to Mijuku and stared down at him. Kazuhiko drew his sword and pointed it at his face.

"Who are you, Mijuku? Why are you doing all of this?"

Mijuku smiled underneath his hood.

"I'm never gonna tell you that."

Kazuhiko frowned, but kept at it.

"Then tell me why you attacked us; That's the least you could do."

Mijuku chuckled.

"Well, that can be answered."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Kazuhiko hesitantly took out and looked at it.

"What is this?"

"Open it yourself. As for me, I've still got one last trick up my sleeve."

He brought his fingers to his lips and whistled. Immediately, shadow matter sprouted from the ground, grabbing onto his body and sucking him down. He screamed in pain as the shadows started to eat away at his body until his voice gave out and he was reduced into nothing.

"… shit… he just done himself in…", Johei said, trying to recover from shock.

"It's nothing that shouldn't have been expected. Damn Shiroe probably told all his subordinates to do that if they were to be defeated", Daichi said as he formed a fist.

"Another reason why he has to die…"

Kazuhiko stuffed the envelope into his pocket and turned to everyone.

"Well, I have to say we fulfilled our mission. Let's get back before we run into any more enemies."

 _(Evening)_

 _Yoichi's House_

Yoichi stood in front of the microwave, waiting for the timer to go off. The rest of the team said that they would talk to him once he got enough rest, and he should focus on getting better.

" _Don't worry, we'll tell the school that we found in an alley at the mall all beat up; Shouldn't be too different from the actual story"_ , Kazuhiko had told him.

Yoichi looked down at his hands. They still trembled, but not as much as they did before. He still felt the adrenaline of the battle in the Mirror Dimension, both of them. He balled his hand into a fist as he remembered what he did to them.

"Damn, why the hell did I do that?"

He hit the table beside him and felt a sharp sense of pain shot through his nerves. He brought his hand back up and rubbed it, but he seemed to recover quickly from it. The microwave started to beep, but he ignored it. He continued to sit at the table, deep in thought.

"I should really help them out for what they did for me… no, I'd end up being a burden."

He looked down at his hands and traced his finger on the old scars where the scalpels had cut through. But then, he felt angry at himself.

"I can't let that be an excuse; I'd just be an ungrateful bastard."

He slammed his fist on the table again, but this time, there wasn't any pain. He looked shocked, but smiled.

"Yeah, that's where my strength lies in: Supporting others. And that's just what I'll do!"

" _Hm, a very interesting device. Oh, but it makes such an irritating sound!"_

Yoichi looked up at the figure next to him and nodded.

"Sorry, I was just thinking to myself for a moment. Here I-"

Yoichi just opened the microwave door when he realized what he just saw.

" _Oh, do be careful! It looks like the mug is quite scorching!"_

 **Aaaaaaand we are back! Hey everyone, glad to finally be able to post again! First things first, we have a new fan! LingTrees! Everybody give them a warm welcome! Next, Yoichi's interview will take a little while; Not the next chapter because he's still recovering, so I'll give you guys some time to churn up some questions. Anyways, it looks like the guys roster is set and we'll only have new female characters from here on out. If you guys are leaving a review, tell me the top three social links that you want to see progress because the next chapter's gonna be all social links and no story so we can let Yoichi have some time to rest. In the meantime, See ya!**

 _Body-Swap World: Mikan_

Mikan held her head in her hands, panicking.

"Ohmygodwhatishappeningtomewhyamiinjoheisbodywhatthehellisthiswhyistheresomuchpornunderhisfuton?"

" _Mikan! Pull yourself together!"_ , Skadi said as she tried to hold Mikan's shoulders.

Her hands only succeeded in phasing through due to Mikan's panicking. Eventually, Mikan stopped her rambling and took a deep breath.

"Is this a dream, though? Yes it has to be a dream! I'll just pinch myself and wake up."

Mikan pinched her arm until she couldn't handle the pain anymore.

"Okay, this is real. I'll admit that."

" _Finally. Now, we just need to meet up with everyone else to find out what's going on. Since you're in Johei's body, I guess he might be in yours."_

Mikan raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, he could be in mine?"

Mikan quickly got dressed and headed for the door.

" _Wait! Mikan! Where are you going?"_

"To school! That pervert's gonna be up to something with my body if I don't catch him!"

 _Meanwhile…_

"Man, why am I so tired just from walking to school? Do boobs really weigh that much?", Johei said to himself.

 _Back at Johei's house._

"Agh! Just the thought of it infuriates me!"

Skadi held up her hands.

" _Okay, calm down! We're not in a hurry! If anything, the other's will meet him and find out what's going on before he does anything!"_

"Wait, if you're in Loki's body, does that mean that Loki is inside yours?"

"…"

 _Kyuto High; Front Gates_

"So, everyone has this problem except for Kaz?", Johei asked.

Everyone nodded, except for Kazuhiko who scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know what's going on, but let's find out what it is after school. Just try to act casual."

"Johei!"

"Wait, did anyone hear that?", Johei asked.

" _Loki!"_

" _Say, I'm picking up something too…"_ , Loki said.

"Hai-YAH!"

" _ **Sonic PUNCH**!"_

Kazuhiko watched as Mikan and Skadi (in Johei's and Loki's body) punch/kick Johei and Loki (in Mikan and Skadi's body) into the school hallway. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"This is gonna be a long day…"


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Social Link Break / Strength of Bonds

 _May 15, 2021; Friday_

 _Kyuto High School; Front Gates_

 _(Morning)_

Kazuhiko checked his phone when he received a few messages from his friends.

Mikan: Thanks a lot for the help guys; This really means a lot to me.

Kazuhiko: No problem. We didn't have a choice if he was in there anyways.

Mikan: I know, but still…

Johei: Whats going on senpai?

Iselin: I guess this is something us girls can only understand…

Johei: Us girls? WTF?

Iselin: She luvs Yoichi!

Mikan: HUH?!

Johei:…

Daichi: What, you didn't know? She was eager to trust him in the battle against Mijuku.

Mikan: I… was it that obvious?

Johei: Hey Kaz, is it okay if Yoichi should join us? He isnt able to fight.

Kazuhiko: This will be his decision. If he has a Persona, than he'll be eligible.

Johei: Aw man

Kazuhiko chuckled as he put his phone back.

"My life's such a soap opera", he said to himself.

Tyr raised an eyebrow.

" _A… soap opera?"_

"Oh, they're just the shows where there's a bunch of drama and whatnot. Nothing really important."

He headed towards the classroom and opened up the door to see Daichi holding Johei in an armlock and Iselin trying to calm him down.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down Johei!", Iselin said.

"I won't! I will never calm down until I set things straight!"

Daichi rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Seriously, there's plenty of fish in the sea."

"Yeah, but who wants to resort to fish?! I'm not that desperate!"

Johei looked to Kazuhiko with pleading eyes.

"Come on, man! You gotta help me! You've got Nanako, so you know how much this means to me!"

Iselin shook her head.

"But Nanako confessed to Kaz. Your case is just plain depressing; Hitting on transfer students when they just get here!"

Daichi turned to Kaz.

"Make up your mind! I can't hold him down much longer!"

Kaz looked at the situation and turned to Tyr.

" _The situation is very dire indeed…"_ , Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, no kidding…"

 _If I agree with Daichi and Iselin, Mikan and Yoichi will be saved, but can I really do that to my best friend? Johei would never forgive me for this… Agh, what should I do?!_

Kazuhiko opened his eyes and walked towards everyone.

"So you're gonna help me?! Thanks man, I knew I could count on you-"

*CONK*

Kazuhiko pulled a book out of his bag and hit Johei on the head with it, knocking him unconscious.

"Thank God for hard-cover books", he said to himself.

He walked to his seat after setting Johei into his and opened the group chat.

Kazuhiko: Take the time to catch up with everything until Yoichi comes back.

 _(After School)_

For the first time, Kazuhiko felt like he was free to do whatever he wanted to do. It was actually kind of strange at first; He was about to go to the roof for a team meeting until he remembered half-way up the stairs that they had completed their mission. For now, all he could do was find something to do until Yoichi was feeling better…

" _Kazuhiko, I think this may be a good time to bond with some of your friends"_ , Tyr said.

"Oh yeah, I haven't talked to some people in a while. I wonder who's available…"

"Ah! Kazuhiko-san, it's been too long!", a voice said from behind him.

He turned around and saw the kind old face of the school's janitor. Kazuhiko smiled and waved.

"Mr. Seijimura! How have you been?"

Mr. Seijimura pushed his cart forward and smiled.

"It's been quite fine, thank you. I was just on my way to Mr. Ozuma's classroom to empty the trash bins. Do you have any spare time? I'll make it up to you if you help me out."

Kazuhiko shook his head as he took the cart.

"You don't have to, I'll be fine with helping you."

Mr. Seijimura smiled and walked into the classroom.

"Alright, so we just have to empty the trash for the classrooms and dump them out back", Mr. Seijimura said.

For the entire time, Kazuhiko and Mr. Seijimura dumped the contents of the teacher's wastebaskets into the large trash can as they talked.

"So, ol' Ozuma's still strict on your friend? I'm not surprised, he does love throwing that piece of chalk around."

Kazuhiko chuckled as his rubbed his forehead. Finally, they finished their work and dumped the trash into the large bins at the back of the school. Mr. Seijimura chuckled as he closed the lid.

"Now, the moment you've been waiting for", he said as he walked back to the school.

"Oh no, I already told you, you don't have to pay me-", Kazuhiko started.

"Don't worry. Besides, this is way more than anything money can buy."

Mr. Seijimura walked to the side of the abandoned second-years' building and searched around among some rocks. He picked one up and showed it to Kazuhiko.

"A… plastic hiding rock?", he asked.

Mr. Seijimura nodded as he pulled the key out from underneath. Putting the rock back, he unlocked the ladder cover and climbed up.

"Well? What are you waiting for?", he said when he noticed Kazuhiko wasn't following him.

Shaking off his concern, Kazuhiko followed him up the ladder. When he reached the top, he was surprised at what he saw.

"W… what is this?"

Mr. Seijimura chuckled again as he saw Kazuhiko's reaction.

"Yeah, I can't blame ya. I was surprised when the third-years showed me this place."

They were on an old roof, although the ground held very well. There were tables on the side and a bunch of chairs. A shelf held several notebooks that looked extravagantly old, but the handwriting on the pages were still legible. In the middle, however, was a large tree that grew from a pot. It gave shade to anyone standing underneath it and looked like an old couple in each other's arms. It was as if Neverland was discovered on a Japanese high school building.

"I… I'm at a loss for words…", Kazuhuiko said as he took in the entire scene.

Mr. Seijimura nodded as he let Kazuhiko recover.

"I was shown this place during my first year. I saw some upperclassmen walk over here and decided to follow them out of curiosity; Boy were they shocked when they found out a first year had found out their 'secret spot'"

Mr. Seijimura laughed as he relished the memory.

"They made me swear to never tell anyone that they were up there. And after that, I decided to come here again and again and again. I was a part of their group; They were the only friends I had. Then, they eventually graduated and I was left alone."

He sat down on a bench and stared at the tree. Kazuhiko sat at the bench with him and beckoned him with his hand.

"Well? Don't tell me that's the end."

Mr. Seijimura looked startled and repositioned himself.

"Sorry, I was just getting lost in my memories. Anyways, where was I… oh, right."

He cleared his throat and continued.

"I spent most of my time up here during my second year, playing my memories over and over in my head. Didn't spend too much time with anyone until one day. It was a Saturday, so everyone was anxious to get home. The gates were crowded so I decided to go here and catch up on my naps. I closed my eyes, until I heard someone's steps on the ladder. I had panicked, thinking a teacher had found me, but it turned out to be a girl in my class."

"She had followed me, wondering where I went during lunch and saw how beautiful this place was. Mind you, I was still a bit anti-social so, being the idiot that I was, I told here to leave. She was quite the officer, though; She said that if she couldn't stay here, she would report me to the teachers and I would be expelled faster than a fly to a shit!"

"Her name was Yumo, and pretty soon, we would always be eating our lunch together at this very spot. Some time had passed, and we were third years. The school term had just started and the cherry blossoms of the tree were just starting to bloom. We met like we always did, and climbed up to the roof. The setting couldn't have been more perfect for a confession of love."

Kazuhiko's eyes opened wide which made Mr. Seijimura laugh hysterically. After he stopped, he turned to address Kazuhiko.

"You didn't expect that, eh? Well, I'm happy that she said yes. We were happy together for that year, and the year after that. Even through college, we still loved each other until they day we were married."

He looked towards the sunset and sighed.

"Oh, would you just look at that. I guess I just ramble on too much. You'd best go home now, I'll close the gates behind you."

Kazuhiko nodded and climbed down the ladder. He shook Mr. Seijimura's hand after thanking him for his time.

"No need! You've helped me so many times that you deserved a little school secret!"

Tyr watched the two smile at each other until time started to slow down.

A voice started to speak to the both of them.

 _You sense Mr. Seijimura's compassion. You feel like your bond has grown deeper!_

A brief flash of light appeared and Kazuhiko saw a tarot card in front of him before time became fluid again.

"… the Hermit…"

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow!", Mr. Seijimura said as he walked down the street.

Kazuhiko waved back as he watched the old man safely make it out of his sight. He flipped open his phone to check the time and walked back to the hotel.

 _(Evening)_

 _Yoichi's House; Yoichi's room_

 _Yoichi's POV_

Yoichi laid down on his bed while the strange figure floated at his bedside.

"So, you're a **Persona**?", Yoichi asked.

" _Yes, your Persona to be exact"_ , the figure said back to Yoichi.

He seemed to be a very large person, or at least he was. His head was the only part of him and even that seemed large. A helmet fitted over his head and he kept one eye closed. The other side of his face had multiple vectors that made this half look like a maze. It eventually led to his eye which shined with an odd light.

"I'm guessing everyone else has one as well."

" _I can sense the presence of one combat Persona from everyone except for the second year with the black hair."_

Yoichi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

" _I mean, he seems to have multiple Personas."_

"Whoa…", Yoichi said as he rested his head back on the pillow of his bed.

"He must be pretty strong if he's got multiple Personas…"

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 _Kazuhiko's POV_

"Hrgh…"

Kazuhiko struggled against Ichiwa's arm. The two decided to have an arm wrestling match when Kazuhiko called Ichiwa for room service.

"Ha! Gotcha!", Ichiwa said as he finally pinned Kazuhiko's arm down.

"Dang it!"

Kazuhiko gave up on arm wrestling Ichiwa and leaned back into his chair. The two laughed for a little while until Ichiwa said he had to go back to run some more errands for the Hotel. He closed the door behind him, leaving Kazuhiko alone with Tyr.

" _Looks like he wasn't in the mood to bond for long, was he?"_ , Tyr said.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Maybe I'll get closer to him if I take up that job. But for now, my schedule's already full as it is."

He stood up and checked his clock.

"Wow, already 11? I guess I'll just take a shower and go to-"

*pipipipipi*

"Hm?"

Kazuhiko looked at his phone on his desk and saw a message.

"Oh hey, it's from Filipe."

Filipe: Wanted to know if u can talk 2morow?

Felipe: Got a gud deal at the rcade. 2 ppl, 2 hrs, ¥1000. You in?

Kazuhiko: Sure

Filipe: Sweet!

Kazuhiko closed his phone and turned to the bathroom.

 _May 16, 2021; Saturday_

 _(After School)_

 _Nuzoko Mall District; Level-Up Arcade_

"Hey! Glad you could make it!"

Filipe stood in front of the arcade and waved to Kazuhiko.

" _I will admit, this is a rather… lively place…"_ , Tyr said to Kazuhiko as they walked in.

The rooms were dark, save for the several screens that emitted some light. The arcade was packed, but there was still enough space for more visitors, especially since some of the past inhabitants were leaving due to their 2 hour expiration. Filipe and Kazuhiko paid for their hours and started to move to some of the games.

"So, do you spend a lot of time here?", Kazuhiko asked as he picked up a simulation gun for _Space Crisis_.

Filipe nodded. He swiped his card on the machine and they began to shoot at the enemies on-screen. A few minutes in and Filipe was already climbing the leaderboards for the top spot; Kazuhiko was hopelessly left behind but moving at a steady pace.

"Geez, how did you get so good?", Kazuhiko asked.

Filipe finished off the last enemy of the scene and relaxed for a moment.

"Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

The two continued shotting for some more until Filipe had left the previous leader's score in the dust.

"There, that oughta do it."

He let the enemies shoot him until the "game over" screen shown. He moved out into the lobby and bought a soda.

"So, what do you want to play?"

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Let's just take a break. We only have like 2 minutes anyways."

"Huh?!"

Filipe checked his watch and sighed.

"Wow, I really got carried away, didn't I?"

Filipe sat back and waited until Kazuhiko sat down next to him with a water. The two sat in silence as they drank.

"I guess I just get too into video games, I once lost track of time for so long that I was playing _Virtual Sniper_ even after they had closed the doors of the arcade. Needless to say, the employees came back when they saw someone on the cameras."

They both laughed for a little while until Filipe went back on subject.

"Mind if I ask a question? Why do you like FPS so much?"

Filipe smiled and set down his can.

"Well, how should I put it; It's the only thing that makes me feel like I have something in common with my dad."

"He was a gamer?", Kazuhiko asked.

Filipe shook his head.

"No, he was a sniper in the Portuguese Army."

Kazuhiko closed his water bottle and tossed it into the recycling bin.

"A sniper?"

"Yes, and he was one of the best too. Although, it did a number on his mental health."

Filipe frowned and gripped his can tightly.

"My mom had passed on before I could remember, so he was a single dad. He suffered from insomnia and would always scream in his sleep; and in the mornings, he would be too tired to do anything, so I tended to grow up by myself, but it didn't make things very easy."

Kazuhiko looked at Filipe with a tinge of sympathy.

"Hey, at least your dad's still here, right?"

Filipe nodded, but kept a firm grip on the can.

"Yeah, I know. But the least he could do is talk to his son-"

*crick*

His hand crushed the can and jolted him back to reality.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's already getting late, we should probably head home."

Kazuhiko nodded as he took Filipe's can and tossed it into the recycling bin.

"Look, I know it's not easy without parents, but it's manageable. Your father may seem like he's pushing you away, but it's probably because he thinks it's the best way you can live your life."

Filipe smiled and nodded.

"Yeah… He probably did that just to protect me. Still though, I at least want him to acknowledge me more, but I guess this'll do."

Kazuhiko met Filipe's warm smile and felt time start to slow down.

 _You feel Filipe's friendliness towards you, Your bond has grown deeper!_

A card briefly appeared before his eyes and then vanished.

"The Emperor…"

 _Later…_

"I'll see you on Monday, senpai!", Filipe said as he waved goodbye.

Kazuhiko waved back at him and walked into the Hotel.

" _Maybe his father is the reason why he's so isolated?"_ , Tyr asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

" _Well"_ , Tyr started.

" _I wander around the school when you're in class and I noticed how Filipe doesn't socialize very much with other people; You appear to be his only friend."_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"I see… I may have to look into this for his sake…"

Kazuhiko then accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sor- Nanako?!"

Kazuhiko's eyes widened when he saw the face of his childhood friend. Nanako, however, tackled him in a hug.

"Wow! Mika-senpai was right! I knew I'd be able to find you here, bestie!"

Kazuhiko patted her head and looked up to see the stern face of a certain police detective.

"Hey, Sukima-san", Ryotaro Dojima said with a slight smile on his face.

 _I'm dead,_ Kazuhiko thought.

" _You're dead"_ , Tyr said.

Dojima patted him on the shoulder after Nanako let go of him.

"So, you came here just to see me?", Kazuhiko asked.

Nanako nodded.

"Yup! We're going to be staying in the neighborhood a ways from the mall, though."

Dojima's cellphone rang and he picked up.

"Yeah… uh huh… don't worry, we'll get settled in."

He ended the call and turned to the two high schoolers.

"Well, I just got a call from the station telling me that I don't need to show up until next week, so my schedule is free."

Nanako gasped.

"Really?! So we can spend time together?!"

Dojima smiled at his daughter and nodded.

"You betcha! Let's get home, shall we?"

Kazuhiko saw them out to the door and couldn't help but smile.

" _So, you're still in one piece. I reckon it went well?"_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, for now, I think I've had enough excitement for one day."

 _Yoichi's Room_

 _Same time_

"Hrgh…"

" _Don't force your emotions; Try to feel as if this is an everyday task for you."_

"Okay… Mmm…"

Yoichi desperately closed his eyes and tried to connect with his mind's eye until…

"Ha!"

He opened his eyes and saw, for a brief moment, the world through his Persona's abilities.

"Alright! I finally got it! Wait, whoa!"

Suddenly, his vision blurred and changed back to it's normal format. Yoichi sighed as he sat back down again. Mimir, his Persona, floated next to him.

" _Why are you doing this? I'm not meant to be used in the real world."_

"Everyone else is way ahead of me; I need to catch up to them one way or another."

Yoichi stood up and closed his eyes.

"Let's do it again!"

 _May 17, 2021; Sunday_

 _(Morning)_

"Hm… should I?… should I not?…"

" _Kazuhiko, what are you doing?"_ , Tyr asked.

"Oh, nothing."

He stood up from his desk and put his wallet back into his pocket.

"Just wondering if I should try the Rice Platter Challenge at Shigure's. Eh, what do you want to do?"

Tyr shrugged and looked out the window.

" _I wonder if someone is available today. We should use this time to work on social links while we can."_

*pipipipipi*

Kazuhiko answered his phone.

"Hey, do you have a minute?", the voice on the other side asked.

"Oh, sure, Iselin. What's up?"

"Listen, something just came up today and I need to talk to you about it. Can you meet me at the dorms?"

"Alright then. I'll see you there."

He ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, it looks like we're spending the day with Iselin", Kazuhiko said.

" _I knew something was bound to come up"_ , Tyr replied.

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Kyuto High Dorms; Front_

Kazuhiko saw Iselin and waved to her.

"Hey, so what did you want to talk about?"

Iselin's breathing was short and panicky, as if she was choking. Her face looked as pale as milk.

"Uh, are you alright? Iselin?"

Kazuhiko put his hand on her shoulder and shook her for a moment.

"S-sorry, it's just this."

She handed him a folded note; Immediately, Kazuhiko began to panic.

 _Oh crap! What the hell's going on?!,_ He thought.

 _Is this a love letter?! Oh no, what's Nanako going to think? I can't get in a love triangle; Not now!_

"I got this in my locker the other day. It was one of Rika's poems", Iselin told him.

Kazuhiko mentally sighed with relief as Iselin looked at him with a strange look.

"I never remembered having this, not that I'm complaining though. It's just strange how everything happened recently and this pops up out of nowhere."

Kazuhiko read the poem and smiled.

"It's pretty good; did she write very often?"

"No, only when she had 'the muse' on. Kinda strange, but it happens to me every now and then as well."

" _The point is, we want to find out how this got in Iselin's locker. Could you help us?"_ , Hildr asked.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll help you out."

Iselin smiled.

"Thanks, this really means a lot to me."

 _You feel Iselin's trust in you, Your bond has grown deeper!_

 **I'll just skip this because it's getting kinda repetitive.**

Kazuhiko spent the rest of the day talking with Iselin over subjects until it was time to leave.

 _(Evening)_

 _Yoichi's House_

"Alright! I finally did it!"

Yoichi pumped his fists as he maintained the analytical vision. Mimir clapped his hands, somehow, to show his pride in his user.

" _I didn't quite think that you would be this dedicated to your mastery of honing my skills, but I must admit, I am rather impressed."_

Yoichi smiled as he looked at his hands.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be able to help them now. Now, I won't be such a burden anymore…"

He looked at the photograph of his father on his desk and stared at it for several moments.

"I'm finally strong…"

Mimir floated to his side and shook his head.

" _Nonsense, you were already strong when I first met you!"_

Yoichi smiled at his Persona with a soft smile.

"Thanks Mimir", he said,

"But I want to get stronger. I was strong before, but not strong enough to realize my mistakes."

He formed a fist with his hand and gripped his fingers tightly.

"That'll be the last time! I'm not gonna be that stupid again!"

*ding* *dong*

"Huh?"

Yoichi walked down the stairs and checked the peephole of his door.

"Kazuhiko? What's he doing here?"

Yoichi opened up the door to his underclassman. Kazuhiko was holding a bag of groceries in his hand with Tyr at his side.

"Hey, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Since you couldn't go out shopping for food, I got you some stuff."

He handed Yoichi the bag of groceries and waved his hand.

"Well, I'll see you when you get better, senpai!"

"W-wait!"

Kazuhiko stopped and turned around.

"Yes?"

Yoichi put the groceries down and put his arms at his sides.

"Um…"

"I know that I haven't been much of a help to you all, but please listen to my request!", Yoichi said as he bowed.

Kazuhiko walked towards his upperclassmen to try to calm him down.

"Whoa, Miryoku-senpai, you don't have to-"

"Yes! I do have to do this!"

Kazuhikowas about to stop him again until Tyr placed an arm on his shoulder.

" _His pride is at stake here. Just hear him out."_

Yoichi nodded to Tyr in thanks and continued.

"I know that I've been a burden to you all, but please let me join your group! I can't fight, but I can give you support. I'm not very good at it yet, but I can get stronger, so please let me join you and stop Shiroe!"

There was an awkward silence in the air for several moments until Kazuhiko spoke.

"Well, we were going to let the decision be up to you, whether or not you wanted to get involved. Seeing that you have a Persona, we should be the ones asking you to join."

Mimir was right behind Yoichi and revealed himself when his user bowed.

"Huh? Oh yeah, this is my Persona Mimir. We can't fight but-"

"Don't worry, we heard you say it before. If you want to join, then we welcome you with open arms", Kazuhiko said.

Yoichi paused for a moment, then tears started to come down his face.

"You… you really mean it?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yes. Once you're all set, we can meet up tomorrow and introduce you to everyone else."

Yoichi let his tears run free as he immersed himself of the moment.

"Th-thank you… Thank you so much… I promise I won't let you down"

Kazuhiko patted Yoichi's shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, no worries senpai!"

Yoichi wiped his tears.

"Oh yeah, about the title, can you just call me Yoichi? I hardly feel like your senpai, since you're so much powerful than I am."

Kazuhiko sighed and shook his head.

"Looks like I'm gonna be doing this with you and Mika-senpai from now on. Well, okay then, Yoichi… God that felt strange."

" _Very humble of you to do that Yoichi. I sense that your growth has just begun"_ Mimir said from behind him.

Tyr floated towards Yoichi's Persona and eyed him.

" _Wait, Lord Mimir? It is such an honor to meet you!"_

He stuck out his hand for a handshake until he realized his mistake.

" _Oh! Uh, I am so sorry. I just presumed-"_

" _You don't have to apologize. In fact, keep your hand out"_ , Mimir said.

" _O...kay? Wha-?"_

Tyr jolted his hand back when he felt something.

" _My goodness! What was that?!"_

" _My hand"_ , Mimir said plainly.

Kazuhiko and Yoichi laughed over it for a few moments before parting ways.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Kazuhiko-san."

"Will do Yoichi-senpa- I mean, Yoichi-san", Kazuhiko replied.

A brief flash of light appeared before his eyes and Kazuhiko started to sense that time slowed down. A voice started to echo in his head.

 _I art thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the strength to break free from the chains of Despair_

 _I present to thee, the Strength arcana_

A tarot card of the Strength arcana appeared before Kazuhiko's eyes until it flickered and time became fluid once again. Kazuhiko blinked and realized he was staring at a closed door. Sighing, he walked off to the Hotel.

 **Aaaaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the late post, guys. I had a few tests this week so I was busting my butt studying. Not only that, but I was struggling with the Social Links; Iselin seems a bit weak but that's how social links usually are when you start out; apologies nonetheless. Anyways, Yoichi's interview will be in the next chapter so post any last minute questions on your reviews for this chapter! Also, I would like to introduce you guys to this fic's newest followers: loveruby and kurokitsune028! Thanks a lot guys, this means a lot to me. Anyways, I have to warn you guys that I might be late on posting the next chapter so just hang tight until then, thanks. I guess that's all I have to say. See ya!**

 _Body Swap World: Lunch_

Kazuhiko, Mikan, Daichi, and Iselin sat in their (bodies') seats and waited for the lunch bell.

"Only a few more minutes until we can talk freely…", Kazuhiko mumbled to himself.

The bell rang and they all let out a deep breath.

"Thank goodness! It's finally over!", Iselin in Daichi's body said.

"You're in the same class; It didn't get anymore difficult", Daichi in Iselin's body told her.

Mikan picked up Johei's bag and put it on her back.

"So, we need to get going to the roof before anything happen-"

"Yooo! Shiroka-san, what's hangin'"

"EEK!"

*BAM*

"OW! Why would you do that?!", the male student said as he held his already bloody nose.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!", Mikan said as she tried to help him up.

"Hey, you tryin' to pick a fight with him or something, Shiroka?", a burly looking student said as he cracked his knuckles.

Mikan shook her head.

"N-no! It was just an accident! I swear!"

"Accident my ass! You're in for a real pounding!"

"Pounding?", Mikan said to herself.

"Pounding…"

" **Pounding?"**

Mikan suddenly looked furious as she started to march towards the burly student.

"Care to say that again, Damosaba-sensei?!"

She started to beat up the burly student as Kazuhiko sighed. He walked over to Daichi and iselin who were talking to each other.

"So, is there anything that I need to know for now?", Iselin in Daichi's body asked.

"Well, if you step outside, make sure nobody is following you. The crowd could tear you apart."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"The crowd? What do you mean?"

"Um, Amasawa-senpai? C-can I t-t-talk to you?", the voice of a first-year squeaked.

Iselin turned and had a love letter shoved in her face.

"I wrote all my feelings into this! Please read it!"

The first year ran off as Iselin held the note.

"What was that all about?"

Daichi, however, acted as if the note was a bomb.

"Quick, hide it before-"

"Did someone give a love letter to Amasawa-kun?"

"Who did it?! Who took him away from me?!"

"Well, it's now or never! Amasawa-kun, please accept my letter too!"

"Run. For the love of all that's holy, run", Daichi said to Iselin.

The crowd passed through the classroom as Iselin ran out the other door for her life.

"Excuse me, that wasn't your love letter, was it?", a voice asked.

Daichi turned to see a bunch of girls in front of them with agitated looks.

"What? Who, me? That wasn't-"

"Don't play dumb!", a third year said as she pointed a finger at Daichi in Iselin's body.

"We saw him first, so move off our territory!"

Daichi stuttered at all the girls crowding around him.

"B-but I'm not- I mean, Daichi's not your territory!"

"What did you just say?!"

Daichi ran outside of the classroom for a whole different reason than before, leaving Kazuhiko alone in the classroom.

"Guess I'll see what Johei's up to."

"And that is why I would like to declare my love to Johei Shiroka!", Mikan's voice said from outside.

"JOHEI!"

*SMACK*

Kazuhiko sighed as he put his backpack on and headed towards the roof.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

 _May 18, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High School; Rooftop_

 _(Lunch time)_

"Okay, all those in favor?", Kazuhiko asked.

Several hands from the group of Personae and users raised. He beckoned everyone to lower their hands.

"Those that oppose?"

Two hands shot up: Johei's and Loki's. Kazuhiko sighed and told them to put down their hands.

"The majority sees fit that Yoichi Miryoku and Mimir may join our Suicide Prevention Team."

Yoichi have a questionable glance to Kazuhiko.

"Um, why did we have to do this?"

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"I don't know. The real question should be, 'Why did I allow it?'"

Johei sighed as he rested his head on his hand.

"Well, it was worth a shot."

Mimir floated back up and faced everyone.

" _Well then, now that it is official, I am glad to be of service to everyone here. I hope that we work hard together to stop the Harbingers of Death."_

Yoichi smiled.

"Man, always more sophisticated than me. But, other than that, I'm honored to work along with you all as well."

After several moments of eating and talking, Kazuhiko decided to adjourn the meeting early today. He walked through the halls to the bulletin board.

" _You haven't signed up for any clubs yet, Kazuhiko"_ , Tyr had told him during the walk to school in the morning.

" _Yoichi is just settling in, so maybe you should let him get used to his new life while you can check the billboard."_

Kazuhiko stopped and faced the board. It didn't look as if there were many options available, due to the amount of time other people had to sign-up.

"Geez, so many clubs are already full. There's only one choice left for a sport or club…"

He looked at the sign-up sheets for the Tennis Team and the Culture Club. Neither looked appealing, but he didn't really have much of a choice.

" _Your social links will present themselves once you bond with others, so keep looking for opportunities to connect with the people around you"_ , Igor had once told him.

The options in front of him didn't seem to have many members involved, so he doubted that any social links would pop up, but…

"Screw it."

He took a flier for both and went back to his classroom.

 _(After School)_

Kazuhiko waved goodbye to his friends as he made his way to the Culture Club room. He had already texted everyone that he would be out of action for the day, so he really had nothing to lose.

"Should be right around the corner", Kazuhiko said.

He stopped in front of a door with a handwritten poster that said, "Culture Club Room. All members please be considerate of surrounding classrooms".

" _What classes are still in session?"_ , Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"They probably want to keep it quiet for their activities", he said as he opened the door.

Kazuhiko stepped into the classroom and found a small handful of students inside, most wearing kimonos. A girl, who was clothed in a violet kimono, turned her head to him and stood up. Several other members turned towards him as well as the girl walked towards him.

"Ah, it seems our new member has arrived. Sukima-san, correct?"

Kazuhiko nodded as he looked to the other members.

"I'm sorry I took a while to join; I just had a lot on my agenda."

The girl waved her hand as if to push the comment away.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Besides, better late than never. My name is Maeko Asahina. I am the club manager and a third year. Please address me as Maeko-senpai."

Kazuhiko nodded as Maeko introduced him to the other members.

"And this is Natsuko Hanami, a first year. She's fairly knew to the club so we'll be pairing you both together for activities", Maeko said.

She walked to the table on the ground and knelt before it.

"For now, you can just watch us while you get used to things. We were almost done practicing the Tea Ceremony so the wait won't be long."

Kazuhiko nodded in understanding and took a seat some distance away. Tyr took a seat next to him and watched as the members performed the ceremony.

" _This experience seems quite soothing. A tea ceremony they called this, right?"_

"Yeah, they're about to pour the tea now."

Kazuhiko beckoned his head to Natsuko who knelt and tilted the teapot towards a cup until…

*tss*

"Ah!"

Natsuko had accidentally touched the side of the teapot and brought her hands back, letting the teapot drop to the ground. The tea spilled all over the ground and the teapot shattered into pieces. Everybody stood up to avoid getting sprayed by the tea and cut by the fine china pieces.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!", Natsuko said as she quickly attempted to pick up the pieces.

"Wait Hanami-chan!"

Maeko quickly put up her hand to stop Natsuko, but it was too late.

"Ow!"

Natsuko had slit her palm from a shard. She pulled back her hand which had started to bleed. Maeko sighed and turned to Kazuhiko.

"Can you get the first-aid box? It should be in a drawer beneath the table."

Kazuhiko came back with the first-aid kit and opened it for Maeko who took out a bandage and wrapped it around Natsuko's hand.

"I… I'm so sorry…", Natsuko said as she went to get a broom and dustpan.

A third year male member shook his head.

"Man, that's the third teapot she broke this month. If this keeps up, we'll have to find a way to get better fundings."

Natsuko returned with the broom and started to sweep up the pieces. Maeko stepped forward and took the broom.

"Don't worry, Natsuko. I'll do it."

Maeko swept up the pieces as Natsuko watched aimlessly. Afterwards, everyone changed out of their kimonos and left, that is, except for Maiko, Natsuko, and Kazuhiko.

"I… I'm sorry Sukima-senpai!", Natsuko said and bowed.

Kazuhiko waved his hands.

"No, it's nothing, really! Wait, what are you apologizing for?"

Maeko sighed and pulled Kazuhiko to the side.

"Natsuko's… still unsure of herself. When carrying out day-to-day tasks, she's okay, but she acts as if whatever she does is wrong. Please, as her partner can you support her through this?"

Kazuhiko hesitated, then nodded. Maeko smiled, thanked him, and left.

"Geez, all this in just the first day", he said.

Tyr nodded.

" _I know, but this seems to be a norm for us, so let's just grit our teeth and keep going."_

"E-excuse me? Sukima-senpai?"

Kazuhiko turned around to see Natsuko looking down at her shoes.

"I… I'm sorry for what happened just now… and on your first day in the club… but please forgive me."

Kazuhiko waved his hand aside, nonchalantly.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Are you okay, though? Your cut was pretty deep."

Natsuko shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just really clumsy when it comes to these things."

She looked up at him.

"Maeko-senpai told you to help me, didn't she?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"I see… then, if it's not too much to ask, can you please help me become more coordinated?"

She brought her hands to her chest in fists and looked pumped as she looked at him with determined eyes. Then, just like that, the fire in her eyes were extinguished and she went back to her timid-like nature.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that on your first day."

She then felt Kazuhiko's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry; I don't know how much I can help you, but I promise that I'll support you as best as I can."

Natsuko beamed and looked as if she were about to blow-up from excitement. Then, Kazuhiko heard a voice inside his head.

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the power of self discovery to rid the world of Despair_

 _I present to thee, the High Priestess Arcana_

A tarot card briefly appeared before his eyes, the High Priestess, before time became fluid once again. Natsuko coughed to get his attention.

"Um, senpai? Your hand…?"

Kazuhiko looked at his right hand that was still on Natsuko's shoulder.

"Ah! S-sorry…"

Natsuko blushed and bowed before she excused herself. Kazuhiko sighed as he watched her walk off.

"Well, looks like things are gonna be pretty tough socializing with her."

" _You can say that again."_

 _May 21, 2021; Tuesday_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 24_

 _(After School)_

"Take it out before it uses Mediarama!", Yoichi said.

Kazuhiko broke his chains and summoned Matador.

" _ **Swift Strike**_!"

With a sweep of it's muleta, Matador summoned a series of strikes on the Völva, killing it instantly.

" _Now, take out the rest with Fire skills!"_ , Mimir commanded.

Iselin summoned Hildr and cast a Maragilao on the last of the the Draugrs. She wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead and sheathed her knife.

"Not too shabby backup, you two. I don't know how we could have fought without your support."

Yoichi blinked out his analytical vision and scratched the back of his head.

"It's not much. I mean, I just pointed out their weaknesses. I barely could do any support skills for you guys, much less fight."

Mimir sighed.

" _How many times must I tell you? Your ability to support is impervious compared to anyone else. It will have it's moment in the limelight."_

Yoichi nodded in thanks as he turned to everyone.

"Speaking of which, how are you able to obtain more Personas? I can sense that you just picked one up in the last battle."

Kazuhiko paused for a moment to consider his words.

"Um… well… you see…"

 _How am I supposed to say this?,_ He thought to himself.

"I… get them through shuffle time?"

Everyone stared at him with strange looks, but disregarded his answer.

"Look, I don't know, alright? I just somehow picture a few of them in my mind and suddenly obtain one that I choose."

Yoichi still looked at him with a weird look, but continued to speak.

"Hard to believe that you guys go through this all the time on a regular basis. How do you make time for anything else?"

Johei shrugged.

"We just have very flexible schedules, I guess."

"Speaking of which…", Daichi said as he pulled out his phone.

"Our target should be just above us on the next floor. I suggest that we go there and finish up training for today."

Mikan nodded as she took another arrow from her quiver.

"Sounds good to me."

 _Some time later…_

"Are there any weaknesses, yet?", Kazuhiko asked Yoichi as he dodged for cover.

Yoichi squinted at the wight, but shook his head.

"It's like it's resistant to everything!"

The wight cast it's hand forward, summoning a wall. Johei broke his chains and summoned Loki.

"Wait, Johei!", Yoichi said.

" _ **Garula**_!"

*PING*

"AGH!"

The green wall repelled the gust of wind right back at Johei and knocked him back. The wight let out a guttural cry as Yoichi cursed.

"Crap, first a _**Green Wall**_ and now this…"

Iselin raised an eyebrow towards Yoichi.

"What? What's going on?"

"Well…"

Iselin quickly ducked from a spear thrust.

"Johei! What the hell?!", Iselin said as she knocked away another thrust.

Kazuhiko face-palmed while Yoichi explained.

" _Marin-Karin; As expected, he's the most susceptible to it"_ , Mimir said.

Iselin struggled to stop Johei's attacks without hurting him.

"Can someone help me?!"

"Lookout, Mika-senpai!", Kazuhiko yelled.

Mikan turned and was sent flying by a nihil blast from the wight.

"I'm okay!", Mikan said as Daichi helped her up.

Kazuhiko was still being held behind the pillar for cover, and couldn't do very much. That left Yoichi to do the healing.

"Alright, just hang in there, Bjorn-chan", Yoichi said as he tried to cast a healing skill.

Iselin endured several more attacks until she was able to disarm Johei.

"Hah! What are you gonna do without your spear now? Ugh!"

Johei then tackled Iselin to the ground.

" _ **Decontrol**_!", Yoichi said.

Slowly, the insanity in Johei's eyes vanished.

"What? What happened?"

He had his hands on Iselin's chest and didn't speak for several moments.

"What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing?"

*squeeze* *squeeze*

*POW*

Johei was sent flying from Hildr's punch and landed on top of the the airborne wight, causing it to fall to the ground. Kazuhiko finally ran out from cover and broke his chains.

"Nice job, Johei! Now, Tyr!"

" _ **Zionga**_!"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!"

*CRACK-OOM*

 _Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe_

 _(Evening)_

"Why did you have to hit me when I was there?", Johei asked Kazuhiko.

He was enjoying a drink that Kazuhiko had paid for him, hoping to compensate for the lightning that he had accidentally sent through his friend's body.

"Look, I said I was sorry, okay? Besides, there wasn't a better opportunity to finish it off. Let's just be glad that we got the job done today without any casualties."

Yoichi drank his latte, feeling like he well deserved it.

"I actually think I feel better now. Finally being able to do something for a change; It's a good change of pace."

Mikan nodded.

"We'll be relying on your scan ability more often, due to Daichi's limited knowledge of shadows now."

Mikan sat back in her chair as she placed her cup down.

"By the way, how did you get into the Mirror Dimension again?"

Yoichi looked down at his shoes for some time before he answered.

"Well, this guy named Shiroe gave me a QR code so I could go in."

Daichi tensed slightly at the sound of the name.

"So Shiroe's playing with us again, huh? Damn bastard."

Yoichi looked at Daichi.

"Wait, you know him?"

Daichi sipped his drink and kept his eyes closed.

"He was the guy who convinced me that I was a shadow and told me to kill reflections. He's also the one behind all the Suicide Cases."

Yoichi seemed to look more terrified now. Kazuhiko leaned forward to him.

"Did you see his face? Anything that might help with identifying him?"

Yoichi sadly shook his head.

"I'm sorry. When I first met him, I didn't see his face very clearly. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, but that's about it. They were brown."

Iselin humphed as she crossed her arms.

"Great. Now we have the vast majority of people on our suspects list."

Everyone seemed to be in a somber mood until their waiter came to them.

"Why so glum, guys?", he asked.

"Nothing, really", Kazuhiko answered.

"Just tired, is all."

The waiter scratched his chin then went back into the cafe. They waited several minutes until he came back again with a dozen blueberry muffins.

"Here you go, guys! On the house!"

Johei opened his eyes wide and looked from the platter of muffins to the waiter.

"You… you serious?! Well then, don't mind if I do! Ack!"

Mikan held onto the back of Johei's collar as she turned to the waiter.

"Thank you for these muffins, but to what pleasure do we owe this to?"

The waiter waved his hand away.

"Well, just a little gift from a former High Schooler to some students. Besides, you guys come here a lot and leave a healthy tip behind for me!"

Feeling satisfied, everyone thanked him and ate the muffins. Kazuhiko made a note to leave a bigger tip for the waiter on their next visits.

 _Nuzoko Mall District, Cafe_

 _(Evening)_

 _ **Nanako's POV**_

"*sigh*, well it was pretty tough following them around the entire day", Nanako said as the waiter gave her a cup of coffee.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to get to the bottom of this if you keep tailing them. Rest easy, Dojima-chan."

Nanako looked at the sandy haired waiter with an annoyed look.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We've known each other for quite some time; You don't have to keep calling me Dojima-chan anymore."

The waiter chuckled as he pulled a chair to the table.

"I was given orders to be your assessment officer, nothing more. Therefore, I will continue to call you Dojima-chan."

Nanako took the cup and sipped the tea inside.

"Well then, anything come up on your end?"

The waiter nodded.

"Yes, in fact, just when they were here in the early evening. They were talking about Personas and a Mirror Dimension. Not to mention a man named Shiroe."

Nanako nodded.

"Not bad, but I was able to find that out a few days ago. Really, you got to step up your game."

The waiter smiled as he got his own cup and poured himself a cup of coffee. Nanako beckoned towards a pitcher of milk, but he shook his head.

"No thanks, I'm lactose intolerant. Anyways, I'm curious as to what he's like. Kazuhiko Sukima didn't have many files in the data room."

Nanako placed her tea down and looked at nowhere in particular.

"He's very caring of others; He wasn't very social at first, but he gradually opened up. He'll do anything if it's to protect his friends and all that he holds precious."

The waiter slowly nodded as he sipped coffee.

"Hm, he sounds a lot like a person I used to know… Anyways, you seem to be fond of him, given that look on your face."

Nanako flustered, then glared at the waiter.

"Shut up, Amada-kun!"

 **Aaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the wait; I wasn't waiting to publish on Valentine's Day, I just had a lot on my plate. Speaking of which, Happy Valentine's Day! Be sure to spend your time with that special someone, or, if you're like me, grovel in your room and question why you're so lonely. I'm just kidding, spend time with your friends that don't have dates. Anyways, I'd like to introduce a new side character to the mix: Ken Amada! He's only here for a short time, so don't get too attached; I also won't do an interview for him cause he won't be part of the team. I've been suffering from writers block and I wasn't sure how to get this part past, plus I didn't want to make a new character dungeon because I've been going pretty slow on the calendar. Maybe some more events or social links? Or maybe I should just skip over a few days. I'm not sure. Oh yeah, thanks for all your support for this FanFiction, I really appreciate that a lot of people are reading this and it gives me the incentive to work harder. Now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! The interview of Yoichi Miryoku and Mimir!**

Dangstaboy: Welcome, everyone, to tonight's after show! I'm your host, Dangstaboy, here to interview the two newest SPT members, Yoichi Miryoku and Mimir!

*applause*

Yoichi: Hey! Nice to finally meet you!

Dangstaboy:… How did you know about this?

Yoichi: Well, two reasons. One, everyone else told me about this.

Mimir: And two, I sensed it.

Dangstaboy:… okay… then I guess there's no need for an explanation?

Yoichi: Nope.

Mimir: None at all.

Dangstaboy: Okay then! That makes my job much easier! Question 1 from Adtauthor22: How're you holding up? Is your current situation with Personas a bit hard to get used to right now?

Yoichi: Well, I kind of expected Mimir to show up, since everyone told me before they left, but I will admit I was kind of surprised to see a floating head.

Mimir: I believe that Kazuhiko has it even worse; Some of the Personas he has are outright horrifying.

Dangstaboy: I know, right? I mean, some Personas will be left unnamed, but a lot of them are just weird! Next question: I actually compared you to Doctor Strange at one point. Has anyone called you that as a form of name-calling?

Yoichi: Well, not really. You see, not a lot of people were really into Marvel. Besides, people at Kyuto aren't total jerks.

Dangstaboy: I see. But has there ever been an instance where you were made fun of for your disability?

Yoichi: None that I remember.

Dangstaboy: Very well then. Next questions will be from RosyMiranto. Are you actually playing Chess, Shougi, Xiangqi, Checkers, or ammy other Strategy Board Games? If if it's yes, are you good at it? And if it's yes, do you have any plan to play it professionally?

Yoichi: Well, I was very fond of chess in my middle school years, but I dropped it when I became a first year in High School. Don't get me wrong, I was pretty good at it. As for having plans to play professionaly, I've never thought about it. I wanted to join the Basketball team and it didn't sit very well with chess.

Dangstaboy: But seriously, though? Why drop chess? It's one of the greatest games in history!

Yoichi: I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps and live up to my name, so I chose to disregard it.

Dangstaboy: Speaking of which, that reminds me of another question: How did your father die? Actually, never mind. That's going into the spoiler zone.

Yoichi: Well, I have to say that it has something to do with my birth defect.

Dangstaboy: Your birth defect?

Yoichi: Yeah, my hands. You see, when I was still in my mother's womb, my hands started to develop much later than usual. In fact, they weren't very strong when it was time for me to emerge.

Dangstaboy: Ah, I see. And what about your surgery? Did that affect you very much?

Yoichi: Well, I can tell you that my hands ached even more than before. As for my academics, I didn't fall too far behind. I'm actually pretty smart and it's easy for me to digest information quickly.

Dangstaboy: Oh yeah, RosyMiranto also likes to make kanjis of our characters. Yours is 魅力 陽一. What do you think about it?

Yoichi: It looks pretty neat! But why does my name mean "The sunny one"? My last name seems to be correct, though; Charm.

Dangstaboy: What? Oh, actually I kinda messed up on that. Ichirou was meant to be your name, but some things got mixed and your name turned to Yoichi. In a sense, your name was meant to be Yoichirou Miryoku; Both the sunny one and masculine first-born son, but it kinda shortened to Yoichi because I didn't want to type Yoichirou all the time.

Yoichi: So… what you're saying was that my namesake was a lie?

Dangstaboy: Uh, no! Absolutely not! But let's go to the next question, please. Some readers actually thought of you to be either the Devil or Sun arcana. What do you think of that?

Yoichi: Well, they both make sense. I did seem kinda trapped, and I also felt optimistic, but who doesn't in this story?

Dangstaboy: That's actually true; I purposely made all the characters seem trapped and optimistic at times, except for Shirou. Next question: Did you realize that, while you were the King on the chessboard, you were actually a pawn used by Shiroe?

Yoichi: I know that now. Everybody was a pawn of Shiroe's at one point. However, I won't let him control me anymore. I can promise you that.

Dangstaboy: Truly a badass, Yoichi. Now, how about your feelings for Mikan?

Yoichi: Huh?

Dangstaboy: Oh come on! Don't play dumb with me! Is it something serious, or do you like her as a friend?

Yoichi: She likes me?

Dangstaboy: um… I'll just wait here and see what happens later. Anyways, last question for Mimir!

Mimir: Finally! I was waiting for this moment!

Dangstaboy: It seems that you and Tyr are quite acquainted. How so? Did you meet each other somewhere before you became Personas?

Mimir: Well, there were no records of us knowing each other personally, but we have seen each other on occasions when the Aesir met on meetings in Odin's court. I usually shed some information to everyone else, but that was it. Although, I didn't know that Tyr had that much respect for me.

Dangstaboy: Well, you are all-knowing; You would definitely earn so much of my respect if I had met you. One final question for me, though. What powers do you have besides your analytical vision?

Mimir: There are many vision that I have, although Yoichi still has yet to discover them. In time, I'm sure he will use my powers to their full extent.

Yoichi: Currently, I'm using analytical vision, heat vision, X-ray vision-

Dangstaboy: Wait, did you say X-ray vision?

Yoichi: Uh, yeah. It can see through selected layers so I can see what armor enemies are wearing and what they're carrying.

Dangstaboy: I'm going to have to pause you right there. Mimir, can you please accompany me?

Mimir: Sure, but what do you have in mind?

Dangstaboy: You'll see…

 _In the real world_

Dangstaboy: Hehehehehe, I should have thought of this years ago.

Mimir: You're just like Johei. *sigh*

Dangstaboy: Hey, don't compare me with him. If anything, I'm more like Yosuke.

Girls: What's that noise outside? Is someone there?

Dangstaboy: Oh crap!

Girl: What the hell are you doing here you pervert!

Dangstaboy: Um, just trying to drop off a Valentine's day gift?

*BAM*


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The Dreaded Exams; Study Buddies?

 _May 22, 2021; Wednesday_

 _Kyuto High; Classroom_

 _(Daytime)_

 **Kazuhiko's POV**

Kazuhiko twirled his pencil on his hand, feeling bored. Mr. Ozuma had launched into one of his infamous lectures that tended to go on for hours on end, but he stayed conscious for fear of being a target for his equally infamous chalk listened intently as always, however.

" _Kazuhiko, I cannot share your lack of interest in this subject; What's so boring about the early Edo period?"_

"Everything if you've been over it at least a dozen times. Plus, he's just repeating the same stuff he said a few minutes ago."

It was true; by now, Johei had started to prop his head up with his arm while Iselin had fallen asleep, ironic since she just had a double-shot of espresso before arriving in class. Even Daichi was struggling not to sigh in extreme disinterest. Nanako, however, managed stay active; through pure interest or concentrated power of will, Kazuhiko had no idea.

Finally, Mr. Ozuma finished.

"Remember, we have midterms starting next week, so study up!"

The final remark had an instant effect, making everyone feel a vast amount of dread all at once. Johei groaned in pain.

"You've gotta be kidding me. It's that time already?"

Kazuhiko just shrugged.

"It's no big deal. I mean, it's just a recap of our lessons."

"Yeah, a review of all of Ozuma's boring lectures; What could be harder than that?"

Daichi shook his head.

"Seriously, do you even try to stay awake at all? Or even study at home?"

" _Too much work. Besides, he uses that time for his magazines"_ , Loki said.

Johei gave a glare towards his Persona but returned to slouching on his desk.

Kazuhiko turned to Nanako who had gotten up out of her seat with her bag over her shoulder.

"I need to help my dad unpack our stuff so I won't be able to spend too much time afterschool. See ya."

As she headed for the door, Mikan walked into the room with Yoichi right behind her; It seemed that Mrs. Yuko had let them out early as well.

"So", Yoichi started, "You guys ready for midterms or what?"

Johei groaned again at the mention which caused Mikan to frown.

"Well, this is your just dessert for slacking off."  
" _And for having a fetish of your unmentionables"_ , Loki added in.

"What?"

" _Nothing. Anyways, what are we gonna do now?"_

Kazuhiko packed up his bag and stood up.

"Study for exams. We don't have anything going on in the Nav and we're all in good shape. Plus, Johei looks like he needs some much needed studying to do."

Johei reluctantly nodded.

"Say, anybody want to **study together**?"

The last words caught Kazuhiko's attention.

 _If I study with someone, perhaps I could further my bond with them. The question is, who should I study with?_

"Kaz? Kaz!" Johei shouted.

Kazuhiko was abruptly brought back to the present as he faced his classmates. They all stared at him attentively, even Mikan and Yoichi.

"So, you gonna study with someone or what?" Johei asked.

Kazuhiko felt an uncomfortable presence as his eyes hovered over each of his friends.

"... can I have a quick moment with Tyr for a second?"

He quickly excused himself as Tyr followed behind him.

" _So, what's the game plan?"_ Tyr asked.

"I really don't know. I mean, I can study with Yoichi and Mikan; I already know most of the topics for third years, but I'm not really sure that stuff's gonna show on the test. Johei's a good friend, Iselin's in desperate need of help, and I want to deepen my bond with Daichi. Who should I study with?"

Tyr scratched his (chin?) and pondered over the information.

" _Those are good points, but don't you realize that you have more than enough time to study with all of them?"_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But how to decide who goes first…"

 _A few moments later…_

"I can't believe we resorted to this."

Johei hovered his hand over a set of straws that Kazuhiko held before him. As soon as he looked like he was going choose a straw, he quickly brought his hand back, as if he was reconsidering the matter.

"Hm… maybe this… no, it can't be… but maybe it is... "

Everyone seemed growingly impatient of Johei's antics. Mikan started gritting her teeth.

"Will you just choose already?!"

Johei jumped and instinctively drew a straw for fear of being hit. Sighing, he looked at the shortest straw of the bunch.

"Alright, guess it's my turn now" Iselin said as she picked a straw.

After she went, Mikan, Yoichi, and Daichi drew their straws.

"Alright, looks like I'm studying with Daichi for today" Kazuhiko said.

Everyone nodded except for Johei who looked like he was about to collapse.

"Damn… I really need to study for real this time... "

" _For once?"_

"Shut up"

"So, you want to go study at the library?", Daichi asked.

Kazuhiko nodded and followed with Tyr in tow.

 _(Afternoon)_

"Ah, I see. So it was the Boxer Rebellion that allowed the U.S. to intervene", Daichi said.

They had been studying for about an hour, covering most of the history sections as well as the math portion.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, kind of like the Ghost Dance in the U.S.. The Americans saw it as a rebellion and wanted to snuff it out. Funny thing though, we thought that shadow boxing would help us punch the bullets out of the way. As common sense tells, that wasn't a good idea."

Daichi chuckled.

" _Master Daichi, what is this stuff under the tables? They're in all sorts of colors!"_ , Hugin asked.

" _They taste quite bland, though. Maybe a hint of sweetness."_ Munin replied.

"... don't eat that stuff. Anyways, I need to talk to you real quick, senpai."

Kazuhiko leaned in closer as Daichi pulled something out of his pocket.

"I was back in the Mirror Dimension, trying to get some old stuff from my previous house when I was suddenly attacked by a couple of shadows."

 _(Flashback)_

" _ **Mudo**_ **!** "

Munin finished off the last shadow and perched on a concrete pillar. Daichi leaned on his rapier and set his bag down.

"Alright, I guess that's the last of it. Let's go back to the dorms you two."

" _My Lord! Wait! There's something here."_

Hugin started pecking at a small object where the last shadow was.

" _I… it's shiny…"_ Hugin said.

" _Give it to me! Give me the shiny thing!"_ Munin yelled as he shoved his brother to the side.

Daichi sighed and waved the two to the side. He looked down on the ground and picked up the object.

"A… charm bracelet? This is seriously what you guys were fighting over?"

Hugin and Munin shrugged as they watched the bracelet. Daichi took another look at the bracelet before wondering how much yen it would fetch until…

"Wh- Agh!"

He dropped the bracelet and clutched his head.

" _Master Daichi!"_

" _What's going on?"_

"Hagh… HAAAAGH!"

Images flew past Daichi's mind in a rapid pace. He turned to see a woman carrying a small child, weeping; Out of despair or happiness, he did not know. She looked up and the his eyes fell upon the child.

"What the… "

The child looked up at him and met him with the same gaze that he himself owned. He looked on its head and saw its crimson red hair; The same red hair that he had.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

 _(Flashback end)_

Daichi held out his hand and showed Kazuhiko the charm bracelet.

"I had a quick vision, but it's over now. I still can't shake the feeling that this is something significant."

Kazuhiko looked at the bracelet with a newfound caution. Reluctantly, he reached out to the bracelet and picked it up with his fingers. He sharply breathed in and waited for impact, but nothing happened.

"I… feel fine. Maybe it's something only for you?"

Kazuhiko gave the bracelet back and watched as Daichi put it back into his pocket.

"Then this confirms my thought."

Kazuhiko looked at Daichi with a curious look.

"And that would be?"

Hugin and Munin looked at Daichi with the same look as well.

" _We never heard of something like this."_

Daichi scratched the back of his head.

"Well, it may seem quite cliche, but… I think I had a vision of my mother."

"!-Caugh! Cough-cough. What?"

Daichi nodded.

"You heard me right. I think it was my mother that i just saw."

Tyr seemed quite intrigued in the matter and leaned in closer.

" _Your mother, you say? My, then this must be quite a tale that we are bound to hear."_

"Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about my heritage. You must keep in mind that for the majority of my life, I thought I was a shadow."

Daichi stood up and picked up his bag.

"I want to get to the bottom of this predicament, but I know it's a lot of ground to cove-"

"I'm in", Kazuhiko quickly said.

Daichi was about to continue, but stopped and smiled.

"You really aren't one to disappoint, are you Sukima-san? Well then, I guess I'll talk to you later."

Kazuhiko waved back to Daichi as he left only to suddenly have his view reverted to a brief vision of a flashing card.

" _Hm, looks like you have deepened your bond with him."_ Tyr said.

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah. Well, I think I should head home too."

 _(At the cafe)_

"Thanks for studying with me Mika-san; It's pretty nice to refresh over some subjects that I need to review on."

Mikan waved her hand as if to brush off any formalities. She continued to check through the textbook and randomly asking questions for Yoichi to answer; every now and then they would switch places. After a few more switches, they decided to take a break.

"Looks like I don't have to ask Kazuhiko for help with studying anymore. I think I've already covered everything that I need for this test."

Mikan inhaled her latte and breathed out in exasperation.

" _Still, I think it may be wise to converse with him every now and then"_ Skadi said to her.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me", Yoichi started.

He set down his croissant and sat up straight.

"Is it just me, or does he have some kind of… effect on everyone else?"

Mikan raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

Mimir hovered down to join the conversation.

" _When he and Yoichi-sama last spoke, I sensed that I had grown stronger for some reason."_

Now, Skadi was the one to don a questionable look on her face.

" _Stronger? You mean, like gaining a new skill?"_

" _Exactly. How do you know that?"_

"Well, for some reason, Skadi was able to use Mabufula after we were talking to Kazuhiko."

Yoichi pondered on this.

"That, and he somehow is able to wield multiple Persona. I doubt that's a coincidence."

He suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Wait a second. If I spend more time with him, I could finally become stronger!"

Skadi rolled her eyes while Mimir rocked his head forward.

" _What are you doing?"_

" _I'm trying to do that thing where you hit your head with your hand."_

"Face-palming?"

" _But I realized I don't have any. Could you provide for one moment?"_

Skadi held out her hand as Mimir hit his head on it.

Mikan rubbed her temple as if she had a massive headache.

"Do you ever stop thinking of getting stronger?"

Yoichi rubbed the back of his head as he grinned sheepishly.

"Uh…. yes?"

"When?"

"... in my sleep?"

" _I can see your dreams; You're even training there."_

"Well not all the time!"

" _Would you like me to tell you of the other dreams that you have?"_

"... no"

Skadi suddenly took interest in this and leaned forward.

" _What other dreams does he have?"_

" _Oh, some that involve-"_

"Mimir! Stop!"

Skadi still looked skeptical but withdrew. Mikan however, decided to tease him on the subject.

"Oh really? Why would you not want us to hear?"

"M-Mika-san, please stop."

"Fine, you're no fun."

 _(At Shigure's)_

"Why am I even here?", Iselin asked herself for what seemed to be the millionth time.

Johei rolled his eyes.

"Look, Kaz said that he isn't available for studying and Mika-senpai and Doctor Strange already decided to study together."

" _Who?",_ Hildr asked.

" _Yoichi, duh"_ , Loki said.

Iselin sighed as she went over another exercise.

"So what's supposed to happen here?"

Johei leaned over and looked at the problem.

"I think… you're supposed to find where they diverge? I don't know, I suck at this."

"Amazing how that's what you said for nearly everything else", Iselin said sarcastically.

" _Speaking of sucking"_ , Loki started.

" _Oh no_ ", Johei thought.

" _What about you and Daichi? You sucked at anything about him recently?"_

*WHAM*

" _AH! Jeez, even you too?!"_

" _Watch your tongue and you might not suffer anymore blows"_ , Hildr said.

" _Speaking of-"_

"Shut up, Loki. We all know that she hasn't done anything yet. In fact, she might not do anything at all."

Iselin raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm going to do something about it!"

"Over the course of this year?"

"Things like these require time."

"Like, in the next century?"

*SWAP*

"Ow! Why am I getting hit?!"

" _Because you are insufferable, just like Loki."_

"Hey!"

" _I find that insulting. He's way more annoying than me"_

"Hey!"

Iselin kicked him under the table.

"Shut up, numbskull! People are staring."

Johei rubbed his leg.

"Okay, fine. But are you even gonna do something about it? You do realize he's the hottest guy in school, right?"

" _I always knew there was something wrong with you."_

"I mean, if you don't make a move, he's either going to hook up with another girl or he's gonna get John Lennon'd."

"What?"

"Some chick's gonna turn yandere and kill him"

Iselin shivered at the thought.

"But what if he's already taken?"

"Then I'm always available."

" _Emphasis on always",_ Hildr said.

Johei sighed and stood up.

"I need to get some air real quick."

Johei stepped outside with Loki right behind him.

"This plan isn't gonna work", Johei said.

" _Well no kidding! You're absolute trash at this!"_ , Loki said.

He then went to make a bad imitation of Johei.

"' _Just a little nudge into the right direction' my ass!"_

Johei glared at his Persona.

"Well you think that you can do better?"

Loki thought for a moment, then responded.

" _Yeah, actually. Funny how I came from you and I can do everything better than you."_

"Wanna bet on that?"

" _Sure! If I get Iselin to get closer to Daichi, you owe me a picture of Mika-senpai changing!"_

Johei looked startled.

"What? Hell no! Why would I want do die at a young age?"

Loki sighed.

" _Alright, if you win then I'll set you up on a date with Mika-senpai."_

"And the bet is on."

He stepped back inside and sat at his seat. There were several moments of awkwardness between the two before Loki spoke.

" _Man, you guys look like a couple already."_

Johei, Hildr, and Iselin all turned to Loki with disbelief.

"Absolutely not!"

"You really think so?"

" _Is that why you asked us to study with you?!"_

The manager turned to them Johei and Iselin quickly went back to their food.

"Dude, why'd you say that?", Johei whispered.

" _Well, It's a bit true. Usually, around this time, people who study together actually get a little closer to each other. Maybe even blossoming into something?"_

Hildr unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Loki.

" _I swear, if you are trying something with Iselin-"_

" _I'm not trying anything!"_ , Loki said.

" _I'm just telling the truth! People of the opposite gender who study together look a lot like a couple!"_

Hildr lowered her sword, but didn't sheath it.

" _This is ridiculous; Iselin, let's go- What are you doing?"_

Iselin just sent a text to Daichi and quickly put her phone away.

"U-um nothing."

She picked up her bag and textbooks and stood up.

" _You doing anything tomorrow?"_ , Loki asked.

"Uh, yeah. I got some plans."

Loki gave a look of triumph as Johei sat there dumbstruck.

" _So, about that picture-"_

"Shut up. Just shut up."

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _June 2, 2021; Saturday_

 _Kyuto High; Hallways_

"I can't believe that you snuck into the girls locker room. What made you do that?", Kazuhiko asked Johei.

"Nothing that I didn't come up with", Johei said as he nursed his bandaged head.

Meanwhile, Tyr and Loki were floating a ways behind their users, having a conversation of their own.

" _You were the reason, weren't you?"_

Loki shrugged his shoulders.

" _I won a bet, he had to pay of the debt. Besides, it was totally worth it."_

" _Even after Skadi and Hildr left you on the edge of death?"_

" _Yep, I still got the picture."_

"Hey Kaz!"

Mikan and Iselin were walking down the hall. Their fell on Johei and they instantly glared at him. Johei laughed uncomfortably as he positioned himself where Kazuhiko was closer to them and he was closer to one of the windows. Loki, on the other hand, was perfectly calm about everything; returning their I-will-murder-you-in-your-sleep gazes with a "g'day mate" meme of an Australian man tipping his hat.

As they walked past, Johei let out a breath of relief.

"Speaking of which, how did the study session between Daichi and Iselin do?", Kazuhiko asked.

" _Well, since I was present, I gladly volunteer for the job of flashbacking!"_ , Loki said.

He cleared his throat.

" _Ahem, it was on Friday of the-"_

"Just get on with it!"

" _Fine! If you don't want my romanticized version, then you'll have to deal with the barebones boring cut."_

 _(Flashback)_

"Okay! Today's the day! I'm gonna do it!", Iselin said in an attempt to pump herself up.

She started to shadowbox the air, pretending that she was punching away her fears.

"Nothings gonna get in my way now!"

" _Iselin-san, what are you doing?"_

"AH!"

Iselin jumped when Hildr appeared right behind her.

"N-n-nothing!"

They were in the middle of the hallway, right in front of the library door.

" _We've been here for 10 minutes already. Are you going inside or not?"_

Iselin looked inside the window to see Daichi seated and reading a book. Hugin and Munin were exploring the undersides of the tables; Most likely looking for more gum.

" _You asked Daichi to have a study session with you today. You shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."_

Iselin trembled, but nodded confidently.

"Alright… no more stalling… here goes!"

She was about to open the door when she heard someone coughing behind her.

"Excuse me, but where are you going?"

"Crap", Iselin muttered as she slowly turned around.

Behind her was a group of female students of all years.

"Umm, can I help you?"

"You were going in there to spend time with Daichi-senpai, weren't you?", a third year said accusingly.

 _Why are you calling him senpai? He's a year below you._ Iselin thought.

"Well? Answer me!"

"Yeah, we saw him first! Lay off!"

"I bet you're just another whore whose out for him. Isn't that how your dumb-ass made it into Highschool?"

" _This will be one of the only times when I am tempted to beat the heck out of somebody who doesn't know I exist. Iseli-"_

Iselin cut her off by holding up her hand. Her eyes started to darken.

"First off, you're one to talk. Second, do any of you have your insurance cards with you at the moment? Third, HAAAAA!"

 _(Flashback End)_

"So she started a fight?"

Loki nodded.

" _Yep. Nothing really happened after that because she was drawing too much attention to herself so she just ditched the next day._ "

"Huh, no wonder the infirmary was so crowded", Johei said.

"But let's get back to the matter at hand. You still got the envelope?"

Kazuhiko nodded. He had been meaning to open it, but didn't find the time to do so. That, and he wanted everyone to be present to see the contents; An action that was impossible when Johei was in the nurse's office.

But now, however, since everyone had finished their exams, they could finally get back to the suicides.

 _(After School)_

 _Rooftop_

As usual, Nanako had to leave early again to unpack. Everyone was assembled together with their Persona at their usual spots. Kazuhiko was fiddling with the envelope, as if deciding whether or not he should open it.

"Dude, come on. Just open it already" Johei said with a slight indication of impatience in his voice.

"Sorry. I'm just not sure what it is... "

" _If you want, I can scan the contents for you"_ , Mimir offered,

Kazuhiko nodded thankfully and held up the envelope in front of Mimir.

" _Hm, that's strange"_ , Mimir said.

" _What is it? Is there anything harmful in there?"_ , Tyr asked.

" _No, this is completely safe to open"_ , Mimir replied.

" _I can't seem to tell what it is. My apologies."_

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Then, looks like I have no choice."

He ripped off the side and stuck his hand in to pull out…

" _A photograph?"_ , Tyr said.

Kazuhiko looked at it and turned it around.

"This look like anything important to you guys?", he asked.

The photo was a school yard that was completely empty. Everyone shook their heads, that is, everyone but Johei.

"Say… that looks really familiar. And seriously, why is there a cave off to the side? That's definitely dangerous for kids."

"Cave?", Kazuhiko asked.

"Yeah. You see there? It looks like a small entrance to a cave."

Kazuhiko racked his brain for a little while until he realized something.

"Wait a second, isn't this the old school we used to go to?"

It was true; The school looked exactly like Nuzoko Elementary School.

"If this is a clue like he said", Daichi started

"Then wouldn't we find some answers at the school?"

" _That would seem to be the best course of action"_ , Tyr said.

" _CAW! Master Daichi's intelligence knows no limits!"_ , Munin said.

" _Wait, if he's so smart, then wouldn't he know the limits of his knowledge?"_ , Hugin asked.

" _It doesn't! There is no limit!"_

" _But he should know that limit!"_

" _He doesn't!"_

" _He does!"_

" _Does!"_

" _Doesn't!"_

"Will both of you shut up?!", Daichi yelled at the two.

"God, they're so annoying."

"At least your's respect you", Johei said, casting a look at Loki.

" _Whatever do you mean by that comment?"_ , Loki said, feigning innocence.

"Daichi does bring up a good point though. Besides, I want to see what happened to the old school", Kazuhiko said.

He looked towards everyone else for confirmation.

"Yeah, I'm kinda curious about what this school is. I never remembered a school open around there", Mikan said.

"Well, it was on the outskirts of the city and wasn't well known. Believe me, I would have gone to another elementary school if I was living in the city."

Everyone nodded and decided to head out.

 _Nuzoko Elementary School_

"Ah, does this bring back memories or what?", Johei said as he put his hands behind his head.

" _I will admit that this place seems to put your mind at ease"_ , Skadi said.

" _There's just something that makes you want to lie down and take a nap."_

"I can vouch for that. I've taken so many naps that I've lost count", Kaz said with his hands in his pockets.

The gang had been walking up the path for a few minutes while making small talk. Daichi and Iselin had more of a chopped up conversation; Iselin asking questions to get the ball rolling while Daichi did nothing more or less than answer her.

"So, what do you think this place'll look like?"

"Same as the picture."

"Do you think we'll find something there?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"... Nice weather we're having?"

"You hate the summer weather."

"Should we go help her out?", Mikan asked.

Yoichi sighed.

"At this point, I don't think we can do anything for her."

" _I calculate that there is a 0.00000000001% chance that she will succeed at this rate"_ , Mimir replied.

Skadi gave Mimir a funny look.

" _You can't be sure about that."_

" _Actually, I can"_ , Mimir said.

Somehow, an entire projection screen and computer appeared out of nowhere with a powerpoint project titled, "The odds of Iselin Bjorn with Daichi Amasawa".

" _So, as you can see here-"_

" _Come on! You're falling behind!"_ , Loki yelled back to Mimir.

" _Jeez, you'd think that he'd recognize that we were still walking while he was setting that stuff up"_ , Loki said to everyone.

"How did he even move that stuff in the first place?", Daichi wondered aloud.

"Um, actually, he's been able to do that to some extent", Yoichi replied.

"He can only move things that my strength can allow. As for how he got that stuff, I still don't know."

"Well, it should be around here", Kaz said as he walked up to the end of the long wall.

He turned around and opened his eyes wide open. Tyr looked onto the other side and showed the same reaction.

"Hey, Kaz! What's got you so... "

Johei was about to finish what he was saying until he looked at the same thing that had frozen up Kazuhiko and Tyr. Everyone else looked at each other worriedly.

"What's going on? Guys?", Iselin said to them. Everyone walked towards them and turned the corner.

"*Gasp*"

"What the hell…?"

"What happened here?"

"You've gotta be kidding me... "

There, in front of them all, was the ruins of a school that once held the memories of Kazuhiko Sukima and Johei Shiroka.

 _ **Aaaaaaand we are back! Oh HELL YES! It's been way too long since I updated this fanfiction and I am glad to say that my schedule is finally open. I'm still trying to find a summer job which means more time for this! I really miss your guys' reviews and I hope to see more come in for this fiction. Also, today is the anniversary of this fanfiction being published! Yes! My baby is turning one! There'll be cake and all that good stuff (JK, I'm not throwing a party but I am very proud). Just remember that this fanfiction wouldn't be around if it weren't for you guys so give yourselves a pat on the back. Sorry for the cliff hangers, but I feel that it's necessary for my grand return. Don't worry if you have questions, all will be answered in due time… eventually. As for now, let's check on how the gang can finally get out of each other's bodies!**_

 _(Afternoon)_

"Okay, guys, here's the plan", Kazuhiko said to everybody on the roof.

"I'm gonna go over to the Velvet Room and ask Igor if something happened. Hopefully, we can find a solution to this problem"

" _You mean creepy long nose?"_ , Loki asked inside Skadi's body.

" _Are you sure this has something to do with him"_

"Absolutely. He said that he'd be able to answer any questions I have."

Everybody reluctantly looked at each other, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 _Inside the Velvet Room_

"Igor, I think there' something wrong here in my world… Why is Alexandria sitting in your seat?"

Kazuhiko sat in his usual chair while Alexandria sat in the Judge's seat with her hands supporting her head. Igor was standing next to her with the Persona Compendium in his hands, looking more frantic than usual.

"My apologies Master Kazuhiko, but the problem appears to be of our cause", Alexandria said.

"Wait, what happened here?"

Igor closed the compendium with a peeved manner.

"You idiot, what does it look like?! I'm stuck in an old man's body with a foot long nose!"

"Uh… this is very weird."

"Indeed. I never believed that I would return back to this age again. I even have a normal nose like I used to. And eyes that don't bulge out of my face! Ah, to be young again!"

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, you were young before? What did you look like?"

Igor beckoned picked up a photo album and showed him a picture.

"Here we are. Look at my beautiful locks!"

"Master, that's Minato Arisato."

"Hm? Oh, quite right. Let's see here. There I am!"

"You looked like Narukami-senpai?!"

"... never mind. The point is-", Igor started

"Alexandria was trying out some new spells above her level but it got out of hand. As a result, your friends have switched bodies."

Alexandria flipped open a page and smiled.

"Great! Finally got it! Alright here goes!"

*POOF*

" _Gre- Wait, what the hell?!"_

Kazuhiko looked at himself and realized he was in Tyr's body.

"My goodness; It's been ages since I had real skin", Tyr said as he admired his newfound body.

"Whoops, alright how about this?"

*POOF*

"Whoa!"

Kazuhiko fell forward from a sheer weight on his chest

"Wait, why am I in Detective Naoto's body? And why does it feel so tight in my shirt?"

He opened up the front of his shirt and opened his eyes wide.

"NGH!"

Blood flew out of his nose while Tyr looked around him.

" _Did everything just shrink, or is it just me?"_

"Oops. Alright, this'll fix everything, I promise."

*POOF*

The Velvet Room changed to an elevator and Kazuhiko was nowhere to be seen.

"Wait, what happened?"

 _Elsewhere…_

"What's going on here?"

"EEEK!"

*SLAP*

 _ **Oh yeah, if you guys didn't notice, Kazuhiko changed to Minato in the last part. He got slapped by Yukari in the Love Hotel.**_


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Reminisce; The Great Panty Thief (yes, you heard me correctly)

 _(Afternoon)_

 _June 2, 2021; Saturday_

 _Nuzoko Elementary Ruins_

"Wha… what happened?", Kazuhiko said, dumbfounded.

The school before him was nothing but broken down buildings and dust. Johei stepped forward held his head in his hands.

"I… I never remembered something like this happening... "

He tried to move closer but was stopped by a wire fence. There was a sign on the enclosure that read "As of May 30, 2011, Nuzoko Elementary is officially closed"

"Closed? That long ago? I would have remembered that", Johei said.

Kazuhiko looked around, then turned to Tyr.

"Do you see anyone around here?"

Tyr shook his head.

" _There shouldn't be anyone around here. I believe it is safe."_

Kazuhiko nodded and started to climb the fence. Mikan looked shocked and tried to get him down.

"What are you doing? You'll get caught!"

She was about to continue until Skadi rested her hand on her shoulder.

" _There is nobody around to catch him. Besides, there could be some clue in the school."_

Mikan looked skeptical, but stopped. Johei sighed and started to climb as well.

"Come on, guys. We could us the extra hand."

Everyone nodded and started to climb as well. They searched the school house and the grounds for a several minutes but came up with nothing. Afterwards, they met in a classroom.

"Are you sure there's a clue around here?", Iselin asked.

" _Maybe Mijuku just wanted us to see what happened here?"_

"I don't think that's likely, Hildr", Daichi said.

He was sitting on one of the desks with Hugin and Munin perched outside.

"Kazuhiko, can I see the photo?"

Kazuhiko passed the photo to Daichi who lamented over it and showed the image to everyone.

"Look at the angle of the photo. It shows the entire school yard, yet it shows part of the building."

He traced his finger over to the building where a part of the wall was visible.

"The photo wasn't about the building, rather, the focus was the school yard itself."

"So you're saying", Iselin started,

"That there was something to pay attention to in the yard?"

Daichi nodded.

"I sent Hugin and Munin to search around the yard for anything suspicious"

As soon as he said that, Hugin and Munin phased through the wall and landed on a desk.

" _We found a few points of interest"_ , Hugin said.

" _Mostly that cave. Terribly dark."_

"I was thinking the same thing", Daichi said.

The group walked outside and stopped at the opening of the cave. Kazuhiko shuddered as wind blew into the cavern, emitting an ominous sound.

"So, should we go in?", Johei asked.

"Actually, I think this is something Kazuhiko should do", Daichi said.

Johei raised an eyebrow

"Why? If this is some kinda clue, then we all have the right to s-"

"I know, I know", Daichi said

"But I get the feeling that this is something that might hit home."

Daichi looked at Kazuhiko and beckoned towards the cave entrance. Mikan then interjected.

"Wait, shouldn't we leave the decision up to him? I mean, if this is personal, he should have a say in whether he wants to share or not."

"It's fine, Mika-senpai. I'll tell you guys when I come back."

Nodding to Tyr, Kazuhiko walked inside.

 _Nuzoko Elementary, Cave_

He had been walking for a little while until he reached the end wall.

"Well, this is it. See anything?"

Tyr looked around.

" _Nothing of any significance… Wait, what about that?"_

Kazuhiko turned to the wall and noticed there was some writing on it. He took out his phone and flashed the light on it.

"Kazuhiko Sukima, Johei Shiroka, and Yoshimitsu Nakagawa; Lords of all of Japan. Looks pretty old."

He took a picture of the faded message in the wall and walked back.

 _Later..._

"You guys make anything about this?"

Kazuhiko showed everyone the photo, but only received a few shaking heads.

"Well, it looks like we've reached a dead end, for now", Daichi said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

Everybody started to walk back to the city with a heavy feeling in their hearts.

"I guess we'll have to wait for more clues. Until then, what do we do?", Johei asked.

"Well, we could always do some more training in Niflheim", Yoichi offered.

Kazuhiko checked his phone and shook his head.

"We don't have anyone in trouble as of late. It would just be pointless to go in there."

Yoichi looked downcast at the refusal, but recovered and kept walking.

"Well, I for once want to enjoy my day off! Just hang with a couple of people", Iselin said.

"You could hang with me", Johei started.

Iselin shot him a look that wrote pure murder which made Johei recoil.

"Or maybe not."

Meanwhile, the Persona were behind the group having their own conversation.

" _..."_

" _So, anything happen lately?"_

" _That is none of your concern."_

" _I think you are already aware of such happenings."_

Loki sighed as Skadi and Hildr gave him the cold shoulder. He floated towards Tyr and started to talk.

" _So, what's going on with Kaz?"_

Tyr shrugged.

" _He's just been studying with some friends; Nothing much."_

" _Oh come on! Nothing happened? Tell me!"_

Tyr sighed and shook his head.

" _I told you, nothing of any significance has happened."_

Loki projected a GIF of "Bruh" before continuing.

" _I need some drama in my life! At least tell me what Daichi thinks of lava girl over there!"_

" _Who?"_

" _Iselin. Who else here uses fire skills?"_

Hildr suddenly slowed down and floated next to them.

" _Wait, Daichi-kun was talking about Iselin-san? What did he say?"_

Tyr tried to explain until the crows flew close in.

" _Master Daichi spoke of Iselin-chan?"_ , Munin cawed.

" _Why were we not informed of this?"_ , Hugin said angrily.

" _For obvious reasons."_

" _Hold on, what's going on? Did Daichi say he liked Iselin?"_ , Skadi said.

" _Tell me! I must gain knowledge of this!"_ , Mimir said as he zoomed by overhead.

Ty tried to push them all away, although he failed to do so.

" _Daichi didn't say anything about liking Iselin!"_

"What?"

Iselin turned towards Daichi with a look of sadness in her eyes.

"Is it because you already like someone else?"

"What? No! I-"

"Hold on, Daichi doesn't like Iselin? Does that mean that it's finally Shiroka time?!"

*POW*

"AGH! Dammit you amazon!"

*POW*

"There will never be a Shiroka time ever again!", Mikan said as she rubbed her knuckles.

Kazuhiko looked curious.

"Wait, what's Shiroka time?"

Mikan sent a death glare at Kazuhiko, who decided it best not to speak for fear of utter destruction.

 _June 3, 2021; Sunday_

 _Kazuhiko's Room_

 _(Morning)_

"*sigh*, what to do today", Kazuhiko wondered.

Everybody seemed to be occupied for the day and Kazuhiko didn't really feel like studying. He was checking his phone for text messages when Tyr interrupted him.

" _Kazuhiko, can you please do something about Clotho? She's being somewhat of a hindrance."_

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"How? What is she doing?"

" _Well... "_

 _Inside Kazuhiko's Persona section of his mind…_

" _Let go of me!"_

" _But Masamune! Your time has come!"_

" _Let go of my life strings!"_

 _Back in reality..._

"Alright, at least I'll get some exercise."

Kazuhiko got up and unlocked his door.

 _Velvet Room_

 _(Mid-day)_

"Well then, now that the registration has been done, is there anything else that you wish to do?", Alexandria asked.

Kazuhiko scratched his chin upon remembering something.

"Actually, yes. I believe you said something about requests when we last spoke."

Alexandria nodded.

"Indeed I have. If you wish, I have a list of places that I wish to see."

Kazuhiko scanned the list with an inquisitive look.

"A burger joint? A water fountain? Are you sure this is something you want to see?"

Alexandria nodded once again.

"Yes. As under my master's rules, I cannot step foot out of this room without a guide."

"Most correct. I believe that you are the most reliable to escort my assistant outside", Igor said.

"Well, how about it?", Alexandria asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Might as well. I don't have anything else going on today."

"Very well then. I bid you both adieu."

 _Nuzoko Shopping Center; Cafe_

Alexandria sipped a cup of tea, relishing the flavor.

"A most peculiar taste. Bitter but soothing. As if something had bit my tongue in exchange for a peace of mind."

Kazuhiko blurred out for several moments.

"Not… exactly what I would call it, but it makes sense."

Kazuhiko set his cup of coffee down and coughed for her attention.

"So, how's the outside world for you?"

Alexandria pondered on the subject for a little while before answering.

"It is a nice change of scenery from time to time, but overall, it's not exactly like what my sister told me about it."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"You have a sister?"

"Yes. She is one of my many siblings before I. I have three older siblings and one younger sibling. However, many of them have left the Velvet Room."

She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"My master says that a time may come when I would wish to leave the Velvet Room, but I cannot see any reason why. I have sworn myself to his servitude and I cannot back out. Sometimes, I wonder why my siblings themselves have left."

Tyr mused over this before answering.

" _Perhaps they were drawn towards the wonders of the outside world?"_

Alexandria chuckled.

"Elizabeth seemed to be the most likely, but I cannot fathom why Margaret and Theodore left. Less even for Lavenza."

She sighed and looked around the mall.

"This place is rather fascinating, but I don't feel as if it is something that would motivate me to leave. Nonetheless, it seems that our time is finished."

Kazuhiko checked his watch and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Well let's get you back."

The two walked towards the Velvet Room door. Kazuhiko opened it for her as she stepped back into the Courtroom.

"Thank you, Kazuhiko. I hope I wasn't a burden to you today."

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"No worries. Also, I'd like to thank you as well."

Alexandria looked puzzled.

"Thank me? For what exactly?"

"For opening up to me. I never knew what was troubling you so much, but now I understand you a little more."

Alexandria stood silent for a few moments before replying.

"Understanding me… as if I was your friend?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"I see. Perhaps this was what Master Igor said about my eventual leave of the Velvet Room. Very well then."

Alexandria looked calm, but didn't move for many seconds.

"Um, Alexandria? Are you alri-"

*SHOOM*

Suddenly, she aimed the Persona Compendium at Kazuhiko's face, who recoiled quickly. Tyr, who wasn't directly involved, drew his head back as well.

"If you are to be the reason that I leave my home, then come at me with all of your might! I shall prove my master wrong and fulfill my duty as his assistant!"

Kazuhiko stared at her before nodding.

"Okay… I got it… you can put the book down now."

Alexandria put down the compendium before smiling.

"Until we meet again, my challenger."

Kazuhiko gave her a sideways smile before hearing a crack. A voice rang into his head as he saw a tarot card materialize before him.

 _I art thou, thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a bond_

 _It shall be the power of good fortune against the despair_

 _I present to thee, the Fortune Arcana_

A tarot card materialized in front of his eyes before disappearing.

"Hm, it appears the fates have agreed upon our match."

Kazuhiko blinked before realizing something.

"Wait, you can see this?", he asked.

Alexandria nodded. Kazuhiko scratched his head again before deciding to leave.

"Farewell my opponent. May we meet on the battlefield in the future."

 _June 4, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High; Physical Education Yard_

 _(Morning)_

"*yawn* remind me why we're out here in the morning?", Johei sleepily asked Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko looked at the adrenaline filled P.E. teacher and shrugged.

"If I had to guess, I'd think someone forgot Tsuma-sensei only drinks decaf."

"You must run as if your legs are on fire!"

Johei cringed as he lectured the students in the front rows and continued talking to Kazuhiko.

"I didn't think that would make such a big difference. Honestly, he looks like he could go at Mach 20!"

"Thusly, my bright pupils!"

Mr. Tsuma started at the bottom of the stairs in a stretching position. Then, in less than a second, he was at the top of five flights of stairs.

"And my point is made. Seriously, what was in that coffee?"

" _Well, let's just say that energy drinks do wonders"_ , Loki said.

Tyr raised an eyebrow.

" _That was all because of a sugary drink?"_

Loki nodded.

" _Yup, two whole drops."_

"I can't believe this."

The entire class kept watching Mr. Tsuma go up and down the stairs, waiting for the effects of a measly dash of Monster to wear off.

"Psst! Hey, Johei! ¥1000 says he won't make it past 20 rounds!", Iselin said.

Johei smiled.

"You're on! He'll make it to 100 easy."

Iselin grinned slyly and took a few marbles out of her pocket. She rolled them to the bottom of the staircase before Mr. Tsuma came back down.

"And a few more should- AH!"

The teacher slipped on the marbles and fell on the ground. Johei unhappily forked over a few bills.

"Ow! I'm alright! Although I should take a quick rest for now. Anyways, name a muscle that I just used in this exercise. Kazuhiko?"

"The Gluteus Maximus."

 _You gave the answer you thought was correct…_

"What? Did you say something?"

Tyr shook his head.

"Correct as always!"

 _Your knowledge has increased to scholarly!_

Kazuhiko cast a glance around him again before shaking his head.

"I need to get this checked out."

Ah, well then, since I did all that work, I guess you all should do it for the remainder of this class."

 _Girls' Locker Room_

"Jeez, of course Johei had to ruin it all!", Mikan said as she took off her P.E. jacket.

The girls were all sweaty from their run during class and were changing out of their clothes.

"And this early too! I don't believe a single word he said; Monster cannot do that much to a person!"

Nanako looked skeptical on that matter.

"I don't know about energy drinks, but I can tell that given the atmosphere, soda can make someone feel drunk."

The girls looked at Nanako with a questioned look. Nanako just shrugged.

"My big bro's friends are kinda strange."

"Wait, you have a big brother? I've never heard that", Iselin said.

Nanako chuckled.

"He's not actually my brother, more of my cousin. But he was a big brother figure to me when I was younger."

"He's overseas right now doing some work, but I get a call from him every now and then."

Mikan, who still had questions, moved closer to Nanako's locker.

"Well, what does he look like?"

Nanako pulled her phone from her pocket and swiped around.

"Hm, it's somewhere around here… ah, here it is!"

She showed everyone a picture of Yu with his friends and herself.

"Um, he looks kinda scary... ", Iselin said as she backed away.

"What? Oh, it's the other silver haired guy."

Mikan looked at the man in the picture and gawked.

"Wow… I don't mean to embarrass you or anything… but he's really hot."

Nanako blushed a little and put her phone away.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself sempai. He's 26 and already has a girlfriend."

Mikan looked a bit disappointed, but recovered quickly.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower. I don't want to smell like crap when I go back to homeroom. Anyone wanna come with?"

Iselin and Nanako both nodded and they all went to the shower rooms together.

They all were in their separate shower stalls

 _While I was slowly walking towards them with a camera…_

 _*SLAP*_

… _never mind_

Until…

"Fuhuhuhu… ripe for the taking... "

 _A few minutes later…_

"Jesus, what's taking those girls so long?", Johei asked Kazuhiko.

Daichi crossed his arms.

"For all I know, they could be powdering their noses."

"Are you sure you told them we would meet up here?", Yoichi asked.

" _I can guarantee that information, Yoichi-san. Would you like to hear my pre-recorded evidence?"_

"You can do that?"

" _Dude, the guy can see your dreams when you don't even know what it is. You're surprised about this?"_ , Loki asked.

" _I am quite worried about them now. Maybe something happened?"_

"I should go check. Excuse me- GACK!"

"You're not going anywhere, Johei. Hm?"

Kazuhiko saw a pink-haired girl walk out of the locker rooms. He waved to her to talk.

"Excuse me, did you happen to see Mika-senpai, Iselin-san or Nanako-chan inside there?"

The girls raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't think so, but I did hear someone in the shower stalls."

Johei's eyes sprang from his head.

"Did you just say… the shower stalls?"

" _I'm on it! -GACK!"_

" _Like user, like Persona"_ , Tyr said with a sigh.

"I'll keep Johei and Loki here. Mimir, you go take a look inside."

" _Yes, Kazuhiko-senpai."_

Mimir faded into the wall while Loki protested.

" _What?! You let him in but not me?!"_

Kazuhiko pinched the bridge of his nose as he gathered his thoughts.

"Give me one good reason why I should let you in there."

" _I can fend off attackers unlike the limbless wonder over there."_

"... Good point, but I'm still not letting you in."

The pink-haired girl looked at them with a strange look.

"Are you guys okay?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry, we're fine. Sorry for bothering you."

 _Meanwhile…_

"That's strange. I swore I could have left them here."

"What's up, Mika-senpai?"

"I can't find them anywhere."

"Find what?"

"Hey! Mine are gone too!"

"Seriously?"

"Skadi", Mikan whispered.

"Did you see anything?"

Skadi shook her head.

" _I'm afraid not. What's missing?"_

"Honestly, what kind of person would take our pa-", Mikan started.

She paused for a moment before the information sank in.

"Thank goodness I've got extras. Anyways, what were you saying?", Iselin said.

"I'm gonna murder him."

Nanako backed away as Mikan seemed to give off an ice cold aura.

"Senpai, calm down. Who are you talking about anyways?"

"The only egg-headed pervert in this school that knows us personally."

 _Outside..._

"Okay, if they were taking a shower, I would have understood if the showed up five minutes late. Now, it's just weird. Where's Mimir anyways?"

" _*mumble* *grumble* lucky bastard"_ , Loki said under his breath.

" _I bet he's taking in the view right about now."_

Yoichi scowled at Loki.

"Hey, I'm not perverted like you are."

" _Yeah, but what about Mika-senpai? I bet you've been waiting for a moment like this."_

Yoichi shook his head but said nothing.

"Alright, I've had enough. I don't care if I'm killed in the process, but I want to know what's taking them so long."

Johei walked towards the doors before seeing them open up.

"Oh, here they are. What took you so lo-"

*POW*

"OW! JESUS WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

*BIFF*

*BAM*

*PAH*

The boys looked at each other, considering their next choices.

"Should we help him out?", Yoichi said.

"Probably, but I don't want to get into that mess. Mimir, what are the odds of Johei getting out alive?"

" _Well, considering the girls thought he stole their… briefs… let's say it's very low."_

Daichi sighed and walked over to the girls.

"Hey, come on. What did he do this time?"

Mikan looked up with a face that made even Daichi want to back away.

"Whatever we do to him, he deserves it."

Nanako followed the girls behind and sighed.

"They think he stole their panties."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"That can't be right; He was here with us the whole time."

Now Mikan and Iselin stopped beating up Johei.

"Wait, what?"

Kazuhiko explained the situation to the girls and they eventually calmed down.

"Huh, so it wasn't Johei or Loki at that matter", Mikan said.

"Finally! She understands!", Johei said after catching his breath.

"Seriously, I'm gonna have to find a way to get you two to repay me somehow."

"I can repay you with my fist in your face."

"That's just cold. Am I right Loki?", Johei said.

"Loki? Loki? Where are you dude?"

 _Elsewhere…_

" _AH! Goddamnit stop! It wasn't me! IT WASN'T ME!"_

 _Back at the locker rooms…_

"You know what, I think he'll be fine."

"But if it wasn't you, then who was it?", Iselin asked.

"You didn't see any other guy come by here, did you?", Nanako questioned.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"You girls took a long time in there. I don't think anybody would have stayed here that long except for us."

" _What about that pink-haired girl?"_ , Hugin crowed.

"What's your reasoning behind that?", Daichi asked.

" _It's always the last person you suspect"_ , Munin cawed.

Daichi face-palmed himself.

"You can't just base that reasoning on something like this! Besides, if you really think it's the last person we suspect, don't you think some guy writing fanfiction on the other side of the world is the last person we suspect?"

 _Somewhere in the U.S. …_

"Achoo!"

"Hey, are you alright, man?"

"Yeah, I think someone's talking about me."

"You actually believe that crap?"

"Hey, you never know."

 _Back in Japan..._

"Seriously, I can't believe you guys are this stupid."

"Hm… maybe... ", Kazuhiko said as he scratched his chin.

Daichi looked at Kazuhiko with a look of disbelief.

"Senpai, please don't tell me you're serious."

" _Well, they might be right"_ , Tyr said.

"After all, she was the last one we saw that came out of the locker room... "

"Hey guys, come on! We're gonna be late to class!", Yoichi said as he dashed to the school building.

Everybody agreed and made a mad dash for their classes.

 _Elsewhere… again…_

"Mwehehe. That was too easy!", someone said as they hid behind the building.

The person opened their duffel bag to show two pairs of unmentionables.

"Although that last guy was kind of onto me… gotta be more careful in the future."

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Eek!"

The persona turned around to see Mr. Tsuma pointing at them.

"Shouldn't you be heading to class?"

The person bowed.

"I'm sorry sir! It's just that I had to carry a lot of stuff with me!"

Mr. Tsuma sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, just get to class on time, Ikebukoro-san!"

"Yes sir!"

The person ran towards the school building as fast as they could. Mr. Tsuma sighed once again as he walked back to his office.

"Darn pinkettes."

 _ **Aaaaaaaaand we are back! In all honesty, I didn't think I would upload on time again. See, I just got outta school and into summer break, and I was thinking of unwinding a little before getting back on this. Anyways, we have some new members here! And this time, we've got a crap ton of them! We've got Galileo Figaro, BladeofDreams, maxfz19, Ford1114, shadowmwape, and Hatsune 01. If I missed you, please let me know; I don't want to leave you out. Anyways, we finally have someone that's more perverted than Johei! And it's a girl! Oh, I have so waited for this chapter to come out for a long time. Also, thanks to RosyMiranto and Adtauthor, I now have a TVTropes page! Please, check that out when you have the time. This was all their work, and none of mine. Give all of these people a big round of applause. Anyways, here's a little treat for all of you good boys and girls.**_

 _(cue Avengers theme)_

 _There was an idea…_

 _(Flash to Kazuhiko and Tyr looking at the sunset)_

 _To bring an extraordinary group of people together..._

 _(Johei grabbing to Suzuki when she fell, then Suzuki giving him a smile)_

Johei: There were people I couldn't save that day… They still haunt me…

(Mikan holding the dead body of her brother, crying)

Mikan: Others sacrificed themselves for me… And I couldn't do anything...

(Iselin and Rika smiling at each other, then the scene changed to a picture of Rika smiling on her grave)

Iselin: I don't want people to suffer like she did… not again…

(Intense close-up of Yoichi doing push-ups)

Yoichi: I want to get stronger… I have to get stronger!

(Daichi writhing in pain, then seeing the vision of him and his mother)

Daichi: He's coming...

(Scene changes to Shiroe and the Harbingers)

Shiroe: I never felt the need to smile… but this… this makes me feel happy…

(Scene shifts to the safe room with Daichi walking around the table)

Daichi: I want you all to keep these places defended… And get this man a sword!

(Scene changes to Kazuhiko and Shiroe in a blade lock)

Shiroe: Everything you care for… All shall turn to dust

Kazuhiko: Noooo!

(Changes to a badass title screen)

PERSONA: ONE LAST PROMISE

 _Back in reality…_

"Hagh!"

" _Kazuhiko? Is something wrong?"_

"Yeah… I just had the strangest dream... "


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Unaccepted

 _June 4, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High; First Years' Building_

 _(Lunchtime)_

Yuriko plopped into her seat, already feeling exhausted. The heist that she pulled off earlier that day had tuckered her out, not to mention Mr. Jaaku was her homeroom teacher. When she arrived to class late after P.E., he was nonetheless too pleased to see her.

"Late again, I see? Mind explaining why?"

That and her test scores for midterm both weighed heavily on her mind. Yuriko grimaced as she hid her face in her desk; Yes, today was not one of her best days.

"Maybe I can just lie here with my face on the desk and nobody will notice me…", she said to herself.

Apparently, fate had different ideas for her. Someone called out to her from the doorway, but she didn't want to look up; She already knew who it was.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Yuriko sighed and brought her head up to face an arrogant looking third year. He had a nose that looked several times broken as well as slicked back midnight hair. Next to him were two second years that looked equally rugged as he did.

"Well, aren't you gonna come over here? Follow the orders of your senior."

"Even when they try to look like they're part of the Yakuza?"

"What was that?"

Yuriko did her best to look respectful.

"Yes, Soratsu-senpai?"

The third year crossed his arms and spoke.

"Well then, I think that we need to have a talk. Somewhere private, perhaps?"

Yuriko cursed under her breath, but followed them. Eventually, they stopped in an abandoned classroom. Soratsu jerked his head for her to go inside. Then, they followed right after her.

"What do you want now?"

"My my, this is definitely a different attitude from before, but I'll overlook it."

Soratsy started to pace around her.

"Tell me, what happened to you? You should be in your second year right now."

Yuriko gritted her teeth and tightened her fist, but said nothing.

"Oh wait, I remember. Something with you and that hot little number. What was her name again? Hinami? Akari?"

"Hikari", Yuriko said under her breath.

Soratsu feigned remembrance as he slapped the side of his head.

"Oh! That's right! Hikari! She really was beautiful. Also one of your good friends."

Yuriko watched him pace by in front of her once again; Soratsu wearing a smug grin on his face.

"Man, I believe I used to go out with her for a little while back-"

"You wish you did."

Soratsu looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, so you do remember? Well then, I guess you can draw the conclusion as to why she's not here anymore."

Yuriko looked down on the ground, her teeth clenched, not making a sound. Soratsu frowned, but then continued to pace.

"Well then, if you're not going to say anything, then I guess I'll have to recall it all on my own. You boys remember how she was almost mine, right? Then you just had to get in the way."

He stopped pacing now. Instead, he faced her with his arms crossed.

"Such a shame. You are quite a sight as well, I'll admit that. Unfortunately, you favor women; An absolute stain on humanity."

Yuriko suddenly felt a fresh surge of anger flow through her chest. Soratsu stepped towards her.

"Well, if I can't have her, I guess I can always take the time to straighten you ou-"

*PAH*

Yuriko sent a fist towards Soratsu's face and sent him back a few steps. He held the side of his head and noticed that he was slightly bleeding.

"You bitch! You dare raise a hand to your senior?!"

"It's your just dessert", she said as she rubbed her knuckles.

"She never wanted you. She never wanted you at all!"

"You're wrong!"

*POW*

"Ah!"

Soratsu sent a punch to Yuriko's face and she flew into the wall. He advanced once again and continued punching her.

"She was gonna be mine! Mine! And mine alone! You got in the way you god-damned whore!"

The brutal assault continued until Yuriko was bruised and bloody. When she could barely speak, Soratsu stopped.

"And one last thing before I go. I still need to straighten you."

His two cronies at the door started to chuckle as he undid his belt. Yuriko watched in horror as he proceeded to remove his pants.

"Wait, boss", one of the second years said.

Soratsu stopped what he was doing and turned.

"You better have a good explanation for this."

"Aniki said he needs us to help out in a gang war. It starts in ten minutes."

Soratsu frowned, but put his pants back on.

"You're lucky I didn't kill you this time around. My advice: Don't show your face around me or any of my women."

He walked out the door while he fastened his belt.

"Burn in hell you lesbian!", the other crony spat at her before he shut the door.

Yuriko spat out some blood onto the ground. She couldn't feel any broken bones, but it still hurt like hell. Reluctantly, she tried to get herself off the ground, but failed to do so and fell again. Suddenly, she heard someone at the door.

"Crap", she thought to herself

"He's back for more."

She looked up to see a boy with short black hair walking towards her. He spoke to her, but she couldn't hear him at all.

"Strange, that's not Soratsu... ", she thought before ebbing away.

 _(After School)_

 _Nuzoku Hospital_

Everyone was waiting outside the room Yuriko was in to her what had happened. The group looked solemn.

"Hey, Tyr, can you go and check to see if she's doing okay?", Kazuhiko asked.

Tyr checked the room and came back.

" _She doesn't look so good, but she'll be able to come back in a few days."_

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Iselin looked down at the ground, still looking worried.

"Who would do such a thing? If anyone should have been angry at her, it should be us, but we wouldn't do something this bad."

"Oh yeah?", Johei said.

"My face is covered in stitches and my nose is broken all because you thought I stole your underwear."

Daichi elbowed Johei in the ribs and shook his head.

"Not now, numbskull."

" _Still, I wish we could do something more to help her"_ , Skadi said.

" _I know, I feel the same way"_ , Tyr said as he looked at Yuriko through the window of the door to her room.

"Well, there's nothing we can do for her right now", Daichi said.

"Let's just go home for today. The nurses don't want us to bother her."

"Whoops! Sorry, excuse me", a voice said.

Everyone turned around to see a boy in a leather jacket walking towards them with his posse. He had a few cuts and bruises as if he had just gotten out of a fight.

"'Scuse me, I need to go in there and talk to her."

Yoichi shook his head.

"Sorry, but the nurses said that she isn't well enough to have any visitors."

The boy just brushed the comment aside with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry. I'll just pop in real quick. The doctor won't know a thing."

Mikan looked at the boy with a confused expression.

"Wait, who are you?"

The boy put his hands behind the back of his head.

"Names Ryunosuke Soratsu. But you can just call me the man of your dreams."

"More like a nightmare", Nanako muttered under her breath.

Soratsu glared at Nanako, but ignored the comment.

"I need to see my girlfriend pronto. She needs me by her side, so if you'd just let me go, that would make my job a bit easier."

"You're not going anywhere near her", Kazuhiko said.

Soratsu raised an eyebrow towards Kazuhiko.

"You want to say that again pretty boy?"

"Are you deaf or plain stupid? I said you're not going in there."

The two sidekicks cracked their knuckles, but Soratsu shook his head towards them.

"Well why not? I am her boyfriend after all."

Kazuhiko sent him a look that made him want to take a few steps back.

"First off, you're not dating her", Nanako said.

"It's pretty obvious since we found out she's lesbian. Besides, you just flirted with senpai as if you were single. Second, you smell like cigarettes, which the nurses won't even let you into her room no matter what. Third, I'm willing to bet that you're the reason why she's in there in the first place."

Soratsu withdrew.

"Y-you don't know that for sure."

"Actually, I agree with her", Kazuhiko said.

"Yuriko-san looked like she had cuts all over her face, as if she was punched repeatedly by someone with a ring on. Also, you seem to be wearing some with blood on them."

Soratsu looked at his fingers and cursed.

"Y-yeah, but I just got out of a fight at the street a few minutes ago. You can't pin me down!"

"I never said I was completely sure about you being the culprit, but the constant denial and excuses are definitely making you look suspicious", Nanako said.

Johei stood up from his seat.

"Tell me, what exactly are you here for, Ryunosuke Soratsu?"

Soratsu turned to Johei who had his face down.

"Well, I'm not the one who did that to her, if that's what you're saying, but I am here to teach the lesbo a lesson."

Johei clenched his fist, but Soratsu didn't seem to notice.

"She needs to know that what she is isn't okay. Besides, she stole my actual girl from me- UGH!"

Johei, faster than the human eye could see, had picked him up by the collar and held him a few good inches in off the ground.

"I already know who you are."

Soratsu's thugs were about to rush in to help out their leader, but Mikan and Daichi sent them a look that made them stop in their tracks.

"You think that because something didn't go your way, that some girl wouldn't go for you, you had a right to take it out on her friend?"

Johei finally lifted his head up to face Soratsu.

"I swear, if you lay another finger on her, I will make sure you suffer a fate even worse than death."

He finally set Soratsu down on the ground, petrified with terror. Then, he recovered and turned around.

"Fine, have the bitch to yourself. S'not like I care."

The two thugs followed Soratsu and they left the building. Johei finally let out a deep breath and relaxed.

"Sorry guys. I just really hate that kind of person."

" _You and me both, dude. I was gonna pummel the shit out of him but Tyr was holding me back"_ , Loki said.

" _I too admit that I was tempted to tie his manhood to a train ready to depart the station"_ , Skadi said.

"I wouldn't do exactly that… but still something equally painful", Mikan remarked.

Everyone seemed to be in a bad mood after ranting on ways to defile Soratsu, so they decided to call it a day.

 _Meanwhile inside the patient room…_

Yuriko was in the hospital bed, crying. She had heard what the others had said outside of the room, but was too weak to say anything. They were complete strangers who had protected her, yet all she did was steal the girls' undergarments.

"God, what the hell did I do to deserve this."

Even though she asked, she didn't want to hear the answer. She had the vague feeling that God was not on her side in these moments and would probably strike her down if he were more merciful. She resorted to crying herself to sleep to forget about the day.

 _June 6, 2021; Wednesday_

 _Kyuto High; Hallways_

 _(Morning)_

Yuriko seldom spoke to anyone. Not her classmates or even her parents who had already known the fact of her sexuality. This was due to her mishap last year; She was already known by most of the school as a black sheep. She felt that she was living a punished life that God had planned out for her: Alone and unwanted.

She had just gotten out of the hospital last night, but still felt as if she didn't want to go to school the next day. Although one good thing came up after this whole thing: She didn't hear any insults thrown at her. It was just an entire day of silence. That was, until she heard someone call to her.

"Hey! Ikebukoro-san!"

Yuriko turned around to see the boy with black hair from the second-year class who had gotten her to the hospital. She didn't know why, but she had the strange urge to run away from him; To bury her face in her books and disappear from the world. Pretty soon, his voice was just a distant memory when she arrived to her class.

 **Ryunosuke Soratsu POV**

 _(Lunchtime)_

Soratsu cursed under his breath. He was walking down the hall when he caught glimpse of a certain somebody.

"Damn that Shiroka punk!", he thought to himself.

"Now I've gotta find some way to make sure that bitch gets what she deserves."

He continued walking through the hall until he bumped into a student.

"Hey, watch it small fry!", he said to the student on the ground.

The student apologized to him and continued walking to class. Suddenly, Soratsu felt his phone vibrate.

"*sigh* what is it now?"

He checked his phone and surprisingly found it unlocked and open to a page.

"Goddamnit. Hey! You!"

Soratsu turned around but didn't find the student anywhere. In a huff, he turned back to his phone to check it. But then, his eyes opened wide.

"This site... it's... "

His face changed from a look of shock to a mask of delight.

"Perfect."

He said as he typed in Yuriko's name into the enter box.

 **Yuriko Ikebukoro POV**

Yuriko was simply walking down the hallway when someone crashed into her.

"Wh-hey!"

She dropped her stuff onto the ground, but the student didn't stop to help her. Then again, it wasn't like she expected him to. Sighing, she got down on the ground and picked up her books. Then, she found something on the ground that looked out of place.

"Is that a… QR Code?"

She picked up the card and turned it around. There was nothing on the card, save for the scan code.

"Hey, move it!", she heard someone say.

Without thinking twice, she stuffed the card into her pocket and stepped out of the way; making a mental note to look at the card again some other time.

 _(After school)_

 _Kyuto High; Club Room_

"Just a little bit more... ", Maeko said as Kazuhiko tipped the tea pot.

Kazuhiko had to admit, this activity was quite calming. Definitely something he should do after exams. Once he finished pouring the tea into the bowl, he set the teapot down on the table. Maeko smiled at him upon his success.

"Perfect posture, Sukima-san. And in such a short time too. I admit, I'm quite impressed."

The praise made Kazuhiko smile for a bit until Maeko moved onto Natsuko.

"Alright Natsuko-chan. Remember, there's no need to rush this. Just take your time and everything will be alright", Maeko told her.

"O-okay senpai! I know I can do it this time!", Natsuko said as she picked up the pot.

She started to slowly tip her teapot so that the tea would pour out, but nothing happened.

"Um, maybe a little more?"

Natsuko tipped the teapot at a steeper angle before realizing Maeko sighing.

"Natsuko, you're supposed to fill the teapot first."

The girl's cheeks slightly reddened as she refilled the teapot and came back to the table.

"Alright, I'm ready now!"

This time, she tilted the teapot a little bit too much so that the tea came gushing out of the spout. Surprised, Natsuko quickly tilted back the teapot to stop the flow, but touched the main body of the item.

*tss*

"Ah!"

Natsuko accidentally dropped the teapot once again. Time seemed to flow a in slow motion until…

*thunk*

Kazuhiko held out his hand with a cloth on it and caught the teapot before it crashed onto the ground.

"A-ah! Senpai!", Natsuko said as she tried to help Kazuhiko, but he shook his head and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. The cloth helps a bit."

Maeko let out a deep breath as if she was on pins and needles during Natsuko's presentation.

"Thank you, Sukima-san. Natsuko, help take the teapot off his hand. I think this'll be the end for our meeting today."

Natsuko nodded and carefully took the teapot off of Kaz's hand.

 _Later…_

"Thank you for earlier, Sukima-san", Maeko said as she put the tea bowls away.

She closed the closet doors and gave a slight bow to him.

"If not for your quick reflexes, we would have to widen our budget. Where did you get so fast anyways?"

Kazuhiko lightly sweated at the question.

"Well... "

 _Flashback_

"Johei, look out!"

*SHOVE*

(...)

" _ **Zionga**_ "

"Yipes!"

*KRAKOOM*

(...)

Kazuhiko held his katana sheathed with four shadows in front of him. The one at the front was poised to strike until…

*SHING*

Kazuhiko appeared on the other side of the shadow while sheathing his blade. When it was fully sheathed, the shadows had split into five separate pieces individually.

 _Flashback End_

"I lived in a tough neighborhood."

Maeko looked concerned, but didn't press the matter.

"Well, either way, we won't have to worry about Natsuko-chan breaking a lot of pots now."

Tyr chuckled to himself upon hearing this.

"Anyways, I want to tell you that Natsuko herself seems to be improving as well. That is, in terms of her enthusiasm", Maeko continued.

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow in confusion. He hadn't noticed something like that, but Maeko didn't bother to elaborate. She was chuckling to herself.

"You should go to talk to her; I'm sure she's more than willing to."

Even more confused, Kazuhiko nodded and walked out of the classroom. Upon coincidence, Natsuko was just walking outside in the hallways before stopping in front of Kazuhiko.

"Oh! Sukima-senpai!"

Kazuhiko nodded to her and decided to talk to her while walking.

"So, how do you feel?", he asked her.

Natsuko looked contempt.

"I… I still need a lot of work..."

" _She can say that again"_ , Tyr said, which made him receive a disapproving look from Kazuhiko.

"Well, there's no rush; It's not like we have a deadline or anything."

Natsuko nodded sadly and continued to walk in silence.

"Okay, looks like I'm carrying the conversation here", Kazuhiko thought to himself as he cleared his throat.  
"So, what made you want to join the club?"

"Well, it's probably because of my older sister. She loved that club so I felt obligated to join", Natsuko answered.

" _Alright, now we're getting somewhere"_ , Tyr thought aloud.

"She was the Club Leader in her second year until she graduated. Not only that, but she got a bunch of other awards too and got to study abroad."

"Definitely a lot to live up to, I'm guessing", Kazuhiko said.

Natsuko nodded in agreement. They both continued walking in silence until they reached the door.

"Thank you for what you did, Sukima-senpai, I really appreciate it."

Kazuhiko waved his hand as if to brush off the gesture.

"Don't mention it. Besides, we're supposed to be partners, right?"

"Yeah", Natsuko answered.

She waved goodbye to him and then walked off.

 _ **High Priestess Rank Up!**_

 **(I'm just going to use this from now on because typing the tarot card and Kazuhiko whispering it to himself is getting kinda annoying)**

" _Well then, that was interesting"_ , Tyr said.

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? What's so interesting?"

Tyr chuckled as he danced around the subject.

" _Oh nothing. Although, you might have some trouble on a certain day next year with all the popularity you're getting."_

"What?"

" _Nothing. It's nothing."_

 _(After School)_

 _Yuriko's Room_

After putting her bag down onto a heap on the floor, Yuriko fell onto her bed and face-planted into her pillow. Suddenly, she had been reflecting more on her decisions in the past; Not that she didn't do it on a regular basis, but more than usual.

"Ugh… what the hell is going on?"

She took out her phone and opened up her contacts list. She scrolled down until she found a certain contact that made her mood stoop even lower.

 _ **Hikari Amano**_

Yuriko's finger hovered over the call button, but by some supernatural force, she couldn't come within an inch of the screen. Sighing, she put her phone away and laid on her back.

"I should call her, but will she even pick up?", Yuriko thought to herself.

After laying their for several more minutes, Yuriko got up and decided to change. She was about to change into some shorts until she felt something strange in her pocket.

"Hm? Oh, this thing."

She took out the card from earlier that day. She turned it around a couple times for sport before stopping and sighing.

"Well it's not like I've got anything better to do... "

After retrieving her phone and scanning the code, she saw that a new app had suddenly appeared.

"Mirror Dimension Navigator?"

She checked around on it for several minutes until retiring for the day.

"I guess there really isn't anything I can do now, is the-"

Suddenly, she stood up and walked towards the hall.

"Wha-? What the hell's this?"

She tried to stop, but her legs would not listen; She steadily started to make her way towards the mirror at the end of the hall. Panicked, she tried to grab onto anything that was around her; Anything that would make her slow down or stop, but nothing was in reach. Then, she set foot inside the mirror.

"What the shit is this?! Somebody! Help m-!"

But Yuriko already disappeared into the mirror long before anyone would hear her.

 _June 8, 2021; Saturday_

 _Kyuto High; Rooftop_

 _(Lunchtime)_

"Yuriko Ikebukoro is now in the Mirror Dimension", Kazuhiko read out loud for his team.

Everyone had taken their usual seats with their Persona behind them. Skadi looked pained, as if she had lost a dear friend.

" _Poor girl… to think that she had to endure all of the abuse of that Soratsu boy. On top of that, she gets sent to that place. When will it end?"_

Loki, however, was staring at Skadi attentively.

" _Is it me or does Skadi seem… different?"_

Johei raised his eyebrow with a questioning look on his face.

"What are you talking about? She seems normal to me."

" _Shh!",_ Loki hushed him as he gestured to keep listening to Skadi.

" _The poor girl, all of this pain that she has been bearing, it must have been eating her from the inside. The insolence of that man! I shall throttle him! I will hang him from his thumbs and make him bleed from his pinky toes! I will personally make sure that he dies a slow, agonizing death; Only when he is begging for death will I grace him with it!"_

Skadi stopped to take a deep breath before noticing everyone was watching her.

" _... What?"_

Kazuhiko and Tyr were leaning back with wide eyes, Johei and Loki both had their jaws on the ground (well, Loki just had a jaw going off-screen), Yoichi and Mimir were ducking behind an air vent, Daichi and the crows looked terrified, and Mikan and Iselin were just staring at Skadi.

" _Testify, sister!"_ , Hildr replied to Skadi and then earned a few glances towards herself.

"Mika-senpai, I know we don't like Soratsu-san, but we didn't want to kill him", Johei said.

"Hey!"

"I must confess as well, Iselin", Daichi started

"Some things are okay to support, but this is not one of them."

"I wasn't in favor of it!", Iselin protested.

"We all know that our Persona are somewhat of a reflection of ourselves", Daichi said

"Admit it, you were thinking of that deep down."

" _Although he is a horrible person"_ , Munin cawed.

" _We should send him to Asgard and unleash Ragnarok while chaining him down at the center!"_ , Hugin added.

"You were saying?"

"Shut up."

"Okay, I see that she's a lot more violent, but what about that has changed?"

" _Simple"_ , Loki said

" _She's sexist."_

"What?", Mikan said.

" _WHAT?!"_ , Skadi shouted.

" _I mean, come on. You always beat the crap out of me for playing pranks, but you don't do anything to her when she stole Mikan's tighty whities?"_

"How do you know I have white underwear?", Mikan suddenly asked.

" _From Johei's collection. He's even got some of Iselin's!"_

The girls were about to pulverize Johei until Kazuhiko stepped in.

"We're going off task here! At least hold together until after the meetings over!"

The girls reluctantly sat back down and listened to Kazuhiko.

"We haven't been in Niflheim for quite a while so we'll be a bit out of practice. Yoichi, I'll lend you some of the Niflheim cash to buy some healing supplies. Johei, I'll leave you a bag of materials to sell to the shop, and I'd better see a receipt."

"Don't blame me for the missing cash, pin it on this guy", Johei said while pointing towards Loki.

"What use do you even have for money anyways?"

" _Trust me, you don't want to know",_ Loki replied.

"Everyone else, get your stuff ready for afterschool. We'll rendezvous at four."

 _(After School)_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 44_

"Hey, Yoichi, you know how far she is?", Johei said between breaths.

"Not for a good while. She looks about 15 to 20 floors above us."

" _15 to 20 what?!"_ , Loki shouted.

" _I can't take this anymore, can we call it quits for now?"_

" _Loki, we can go a bit further, I feel fine"_ , Skadi said.

" _*Mumble* *grumble* sexist *grumble* *mumble*"_

" _What was that?"_

" _Uh, I mean, yeah! I can keep it up!"_

"Heads up!", Kazuhiko shouted.

Everyone dodged a Polygon Brawler (think Polygon Ryu from Street Fighter if he was in the N64 SS Bros.) that sent a crushing fist to the ground.

" _ **Garula**_!", Daichi said after getting up from his dive-roll.

Hugin and Munin flapped their wings to send a strong wind towards the shadow.

" _ **Herculean Strike**_!", Iselin said.

Hildr drew her axes and struck the shadow at the (presumed) neck area, decapitating it. After picking up the spoils, Kazuhiko decided to retire the team to the safe spot.

"Man, I feel out of shape!", Johei said as he leaned his spear on the wall.

"We haven't been this far up the tower. That added with our long break would seem obvious to our state of battle", Mikan said.

Everyone seemed to be more worned out from battle than usual, mostly because of the new shadows that they faced.

"I think we should get to her in two weeks or a little more if there aren't any disturbances", Yoichi said.

"That's good. The deadline isn't until a month away", Kazuhiko replied while checking his phone.

" _Hm? Without any disturba-"_ , Tyr said.

Loki quickly covered his mouth before he could finish his sentence. Everyone looked at him.

" _What? You guys don't know Murphy's law? Anything that can go wrong-"_

"Will go wrong, yes we know it. But why are you so worried? It's not like we'll get any interferen-"

" _Nope! Not happening!"_ , Loki said when he covered Kazuhiko's mouth.

"Loki, look, I know you're a bit worried, but there's no reason to be so worried", Johei said, trying to reassure his Persona.

" _Yes! Listen to your master!"_ , Hugin cawed.

" _It's not like the world will e- UMF!"_

Loki clamped Munin's beak shut. Iselin started to get a wicked idea.

"Yeah! We're definitely not gonna-"

Loki moved towards Iselin but Hildr quickly interrupted.

" _Get any barrier in our way!"_

" _Gah! Goddamnit!"_ , Loki said as he held his head.

"*sigh* listen, Loki, there is no such thing as that kind of superstition. Besides, even if we didn't say it, I bet we'd have something in our way regardless", Kazuhiko said.

Loki still looked glum.

" _Alright, go ahead and do whatever you want, but if we have something in our way that stops us, don't say I didn't warn you!"_ , Loki said to everyone.

The team just shrugged it off and decided to go back for the day.

 _End Theme:_ _Negaki no Refrain_

 _Suggested by RosyMiranto18_

 _ **Aaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the later than usual post guys, I was working on something for Google+. Yes, the page for this fanfiction! Also, some of you guys sent me artwork of what you envisioned the characters to be which I will post on there later. If you're curious about the link, here it is:**_

 _ **plus .go ogle u/ 0/ collection /YMXnaE**_

 _ **Just remove the spaces and you should be good to go. Also, if you hear an awesome soundtrack and want to make it as an ending theme, just let me know! Well, I don't want to stand in your way for the mini story, so I'll shut up now. See ya!**_

 _The Protagonists; Subject: Names and Games_

Kazuhiko: So let me get this straight; Atlus forced you guys to have two names?

Yu: Yep. I'm Yu Narukami as well as Souji Seta.

Minato: Minato Arisato and Makoto Yuki.

Akira: Akira Kurusu originally until the anime came around. Then I was known as Ren Amamiya.

Minako: I have way too many, but official name is Female Protagonist.

Kazuhiko: Geez, what is up with the Japan branch?

Yu: Yeah, the names get kinda confusing at the time. What's even worse is the spin-offs.

Kazuhiko: Spin-offs?

Minato: You know, like the dancing games and whatnot.

Minako: Thank goodness I wasn't in any of them.

Minato: P3P was a spin-off, imoto.

Minako: …

Yu: Take it from me, being Atlus' golden boy, I had the most work out of us all.

Akira: Tell me about it. After you had your run through, it made a wave for all of us. I still can't shake off the horrors of our dancing game.

Minato: Well, at least the worst has passed, we all still have PQ2 coming up.

Kazuhiko: Oh yeah, that. Say, about PQ2, are we all going to be in it?

Yu: Well, only us of the official Atlus games, sorry Kazuhiko.

Kazuhiko: Well, about that, I recently got this in the mail!

 _(pulls out a contract)_

Minako: What is that?

Kazuhiko: A contract that pledges my friends and myself to Atlus and the Persona Team! Yep! I'm gonna be an official member!

Akira: Wait, WHAT?!

Minato: Sukima-san, please think this through carefully-

Kazuhiko: Too late! Already signed it!

Yu: Damn it! Guys, quickly, let's get him to Atlus HQ to revoke the contract!

Kazuhiko: Say… what's with the world right now?

Minato: We're losing him!

*THUD*

Minako: Kazuhiko!

Akira: Crap! Sukima! Can you hear me?! Tell me! What's your name?!

Kazuhiko: Uhm… Sosuke Kishimoto?

Yu: SON OF A-!

 _ **JK, guys, I didn't sign a contract with Atlus.**_

 _ **Written by Dangstaboy and definitely not Atlus**_


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Good Old Pals

 _June ?; 2021; ?_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor ?_

 _(?)_

Yuriko was stumbling around the corridors by herself; half scared to death, half asleep. For God knows how long, she had been walking around trying to hide from the weird reddish-black globs on the floor. Thank goodness there were plenty of hiding spots around her, even some rooms that were devoid of any of the monsters, but they didn't seem to have an exit out. Not only that, but she somehow couldn't go down the stairs. So, with no choice left, she kept on going up.

After what seemed like the millionth time that she dive-rolled behind a pillar, she sat down and took a deep breath for the nerves.

"Jesus, what did I do to deserve this?", she said to herself.

" _I think you already know the answer"_ , a voice called out to her.

She jumped a little bit and turned around. Nothing was in sight nor in ear-shot. Yuriko ducked back behind the pillar.

"Oh great, now I'm hearing voices."

" _Um, yeah. This is just a voice inside your head. Ooh, creepy voice."_

Yuriko rolled her eyes and got up to move.

" _Take a right; There's nothing there"_ , the voice said.

Feeling skeptical, Yuriko scooted up to the corner and checked. Sure enough, there wasn't anything in sight.

"Huh, so I am turning crazy after all. Thanks, whoever you are."

" _Don't mention it."_

 _June 9, 2021; Sunday_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 49_

"Crap! She's gone further up!", Yoichi said after blinking out of 'map mode'.

Kazuhiko sighed as he started to move up the stairs. Of course, the one day that they had for themselves, Yuriko wouldn't stop being a good amount of floors away.

"This isn't good", Daichi said.

"The further you go up these steps, the more serious you become about taking your life. At this rate, she'll speed up the process by a week."

" _And the last thing we need is a shorter deadline. Say, didn't I say not to jinx it?",_ Loki said to everyone.

Skadi shook her head.

" _No, I believe we said that there would be no obstacle in our way. And I don't see anything."_

"Hold up, guys, she stopped at floor 60", Yoichi said.

" _Finally!"_ , Loki said as he ran ahead.

" _Well then, I'm gonna go ahead and scout out the area."_

" _Loki, I don't believe that is a go-"_ , Mimir started before Hildr stopped him.

" _Don't say it yet. I need something positive for today"_ , Hildr spoke with a grizzled voice.

" _Wait, what? What are you talking abo-"_

*CRASH*

Loki suddenly fell back and hit the ground, seemingly running into an invisible wall.

" _And I am good for the day."_

"Um, Iselin? You okay?", Mikan asked the Norwegian girl who looked a little ticked off.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. Just on my time, y'know?"

"Ah"

The group walked over to Loki on the ground.

" _What did I tell you? What the HELL did I tell you all?!"_

Johei sighed as he helped him off the ground.

"Another one of these things, huh? Man they get so annoying."

"And they're a nuisance to get rid of", Kazuhiko said, nodding his head in agreement.

"I expected you all to be here yesterday", a voice called out from the other side of the hall.

Everyone jumped at the sound and looked at two hooded figures.

"Well, I guess we can make do with this. Jujunna."

"At once."

The figure on the right unsheathed a long combat knife and made towards them.

"Guys! Keep your guard up!", Kazuhiko yelled.

The one named Jujunna ran towards Johei, quickly breaking through the reach of his spear. He made a horizontal slash towards his stomach, but Johei quickly dodged back and swung his spear in a downward arc, only for it to stop on the knife.

"Fast, but not enough strength. Not even worth more time."

With lightning fast reflexes, Jujunna grabbed the spear shaft and pulled Johei towards him, sending a left haymaker towards his head. Poor Johei was sent a few feet away from his stance before landing on the ground, unconcious.

"Shit", Daichi said as he poised ready to strike with his rapier.

He sent a straight thrust towards the attacker, but the blow was deflected to the side.

"Duck!", Mikan yelled as she readied Skadi.

Daichi, knowing by pure instinct, hit the deck, narrowly avoiding the slash of the knife while giving Mikan a clear shot.

" _ **Bufula**_!"

" _ **Agidyne**_!", the other man said as he sent an intense whirlwind of flame to counter the effects of the freezing wind.

*TSS*

"Ah!", Mikan shrieked as she held on the part of her arm where the flame had singed her flesh.

Daichi tried a sweeping kick from where he was, but Jujunna quickly stomped on his leg, clearly breaking the bones. The sound of them breaking underneath the weight of the Harbinger's foot was already painful to hear, let alone experiencing the physical pain.

"HGH!"

By some super-human strength, Daichi was able to pick himself up and try a diagonal slash. Jujunna easily blocked it and shot his hand towards the red-haired boy's throat. Daichi didn't struggle when he was picked up and kept his hands behind him.

"Look out you fool!", the mage Harbinger yelled at his comrade.

Jujunna looked at his feet and noticed a whirlwind of paper charms flying around him. Not only that, but there was also a permeating darkness gathering around him at the same time

" _ **Hama**_ and _**Mudo**_ at the same time. Dodge this, asshole", Daichi said through his teeth.

Hugin and Munin had finished charging before releasing the attack until Jujunna threw Daichi and jumped out of the way. The attack had grazed his left thigh, but he didn't seem to be affected by the damage.

"Two to go."

Jujunna started making his way to Kazuhiko before he heard a yell.

"HAAAA!"

He turned to meet the full force of Iselin punching him in the face and sending him flying for 20 feet. Iselin rubbed her knuckles and continued to look pissed off.

"I did NOT want to deal with this kind of shit today!"

" _Maybe we should do something for her when we get back?"_ , Tyr suggested.

"Why? For saving our lives or to calm her down so she doesn't punch us?"

" _Both"_

Jujunna looked like he had lost his cool.

"Alright, you're really asking for it you bi-"

"No, I think we've done enough", his comrade said with a raised hand.

Kazuhiko went to check the others.

"Sorry, Tyr, I'm gonna have to switch you out. _**Hestia**_ "

" _Right away._ _ **Soothing Warmth**_ _."_

The group started to come around until they faced the two hooded Harbingers.

"Alright, I'm ready for round two!", Johei said, poised to strike.

"There is no need", the mage said.

"By all means, you may attack us, but it wouldn't end in the best of ways for you."

Johei bit back a few curses, but otherwise lowered his spear.

"First order of business! My name is Kokatsuna, but you may call me Kokatsu."

He waved his hand at his comrade.

"This, as I believe you may have heard, is Jujunna. He prefers to be called Junn. Now that that's out of the way", Kokatsu continued.

"Second order. You may realize that this barrier is quite similar to one that you have faced in the past. Worry not, this one requires only a password."

" _Is that so? Then I guess we'll just keep saying random things to it"_ , Loki said.

" _Let's see, what's a good one? Oh! How about 'Panties'?"_

*BZZT*

" _AH!"_

Loki was suddenly shocked by lightning. Skadi shook her head as she helped him up.

" _Honestly, why do you even do this?"_

"Well then, it seems like you'll need a hint", Kokatsu said.

" _You… you were just waiting for that to happen, weren't you?"_ , Loki said as he got up to his feet, a few dead pixels sputtering in and out of existence.

"Yes, yes I was. Anyways, here's what you need: The names of her two best friends."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow.

"Any particular reason as to why that specific answer?", he asked.

"Oh no reason really, but if you want to understand her struggle, I suggest you find the answer soon."

He gestured to Junn and they both turned around.

"Farewell, SPT. That is what you call yourselves, no? We shall see each other in the near future."

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Nuzoko Mall Center; Cafe_

"Man, he was so annoying!", Iselin said after she demolished a blueberry muffin.

The group decided to finish their excursion and try to calm Iselin down from her rage. Sure enough, the muffins took a few minutes to take effect.

"So, you guys have any ideas?", Yoichi asked.

"I checked the internet, but Yuriko doesn't show up much."

" _I don't think we'll find much in the real world either"_ , Tyr said.

" _She doesn't seem to interact with anyone. I really doubt she has any friends."_

"And all of a sudden this feels like Mission Im-freaking-possible", Johei said.

He sipped his coffee and let out a deep sigh.

"I'm so glad they brought some LeBlanc coffee here. It just makes everything so much better."

Everyone agreed with a nod of their heads before returning to the topic.

"Still, school is our best bet for now until we find out where she lives", Mikan said.

"Yeah, and how are we gonna find out where she's staying?"

" _If you get me close enough to the teachers' computers, I can bypass the security and access some of her files"_ , Mimir said.

" _Wait wait wait, can you clean up computers?"_ , Loki asked.

" _Shouldn't be too much trouble"_ , Mimir said

" _Why do you ask?"_

" _Um, hold on, Johei can I see your phone?"_

Johei skeptically gave the trickster his phone who, in turn, showed it to Mimir.

" _So, um, I was just browsing until the phone said I had a virus. Can you do a quick cleanup?"_

"Hold on a second, what were you doing on my phone?", Johei asked.

" _Ask yourself the same question. I am you after all."_

" _Alright, just hold it for a little bit and I'll… what the hell? Oh GOD! WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS?! AAUGH! I CAN'T PAUSE IT!"_

"Mimir? What's wrong?", Yoichi asked.

He changed to his Persona's view and quickly recoiled.

"Oh, uh, Johei, um, I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff."

" _Jesus Christ, I was just curious on that last one. It's not like I'm into Yaoi or anything!"_ , Loki quickly said.

Everyone stared at the two and scooted away from them; That is, everyone except for Iselin and Hildr.

"Let me see that. Wow, Johei, you got good taste", Iselin said as she watched the screen of Johei's phone.

" _Although it is quite more erotic than what Iselin usually sees"_ , Hildr commented.

"Hold on a second, I think I just went partially deaf for a moment. You actually watch this stuff?!", Johei said to Iselin.

"Well, let's just say that it's a big fantasy of a lot of girls in my dorm."

"Let's not", Daichi said as he scooted away from Iselin.

The group continued to talk over strategy, then eventually changed to a casual conversation until they decided to take off for the day.

 _(Evening)_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Lobby_

Kazuhiko walked through the doorway and bumped into a certain someone.

"Yo! Kazuhiko-kun! How ya doin'?"

Ichiwa was pushing a luggage cart and positioned himself next to Kazuhiko.

"I'm doing pretty well. Any mistakes that you just made?"

Ichiwa laughed nervously.

"No, surprisingly. Huh, maybe today's my lucky day!"

Kazuhiko gave him a sideways smile and stopped at the front desk. He picked up the check-in sheet and signed his name as well as the current time. He made for the elevator until he heard a familiar voice.

"Boy! You've got a family of twelve's luggage ready for you when you clear that rack!", Takai said.

"Yes sir, Takai-sensei!", Ichiwa replied as he pulled the luggage cart into the elevator.

" _The hotel sure seems to be understaffed these couple of days"_ , Tyr pointed out.

"Well, they're usually part-timers in High-school. Besides, nobody seems to have the time to work late."

" _Except for you."_

Kazuhiko thought for a moment before replying.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And I might as well get a job for extra funding; We only go to Niflheim for rescues and training."

Kazuhiko rang the bell for the front desk and Takai came up to him.

"Ah, Mr. Sukima. How can I help you?"

"I see that you're a bit understaffed at the moment. Mind if I pitch in?"

Takai raised an eyebrow at his offer.

"Well, what makes you want to work here?"

"I've been looking for a part time job for some spending cash; It is the city after all."

"Hmm… ", Takai thought to himself as he skimmed the employee records on the computer.

"I'm most in need of some bellboys and your grades are in good condition, so I'll tell you what."

"Since you're a resident here and you want to work, I'll let you decide your own hours; Don't need to work at all during the week if you don't feel like it. Plus, if you see Kawahara working by himself at any time, help him out. I don't want him to break something again and paying a compensation fee to the customers. Deal?"

"Deal", Kazuhiko said with an affirming nod.

"Good! I'll have someone send a uniform to your room and you can start whenever you want."

Kazuhiko went back to the elevator and retired to his room.

 _Kazuhiko's Room_

"Just like that?!"

Kazuhiko nodded when Ichiwa asked him about the interview. The bellboy was sent to drop off the uniform at his room and decided to stop for a little break.

"Yeah, no formal background check or whatnot and he just hired me then and there."

"Wow, he must really trust you", Ichiwa said.

Kazuhiko looked over his uniform. It was a standard bellboy uniform, red with bronze buttons, a cap, and white gloves.

"But man, I can hardly believe that he's that desperate for work. He's usually a stickler for the rules."

Ichiwa made his way to the door.

"Well then, I'll go back to my shift. Check in with me if you want to work for the day, alright?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Alright, got it Ichiwa-san."

"Call me Ichiwa; We're working together, after all!"

After the door closed, Kazuhiko put his uniform into the closet and decided to wash of the sweat of the day's work in the shower.

 _ **Tower Arcana Rank Up! Level 2!**_

 _June 10, 2021; Monday_

 _First-years classroom_

 _(Lunchtime)_

"Are you sure she doesn't have any friends?", Kazuhiko asked.

Ms. Kimura shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about her. She hardly speaks in class, let alone to anyone else."

After thanking her, Kazuhiko walked out of the classroom to face everyone else.

" _No dice?"_ , Loki asked.

Kazuhiko shook his head sadly.

"We've hit a dead-end here. How about the student records?"

"I've got her address, but it's kinda far from here. We'll have to take the subway there, but it's not one of the student tracks so we'll have to pay a fare", Yoichi said.

"Not a problem, I'll cover everyone", Kazuhiko said as he checked his wallet contents.

" _I did find something interesting, though"_ , Mimir suddenly stated.

" _Checking the student status history, I found that she had changed her sexuality a few years ago; During junior high."_

Mikan raised her eyebrow.

"Maybe something happened to her then that made change?"

" _Also, during the same year, it seems that her grades were dropped down. She had to repeat a year, but it was a bit strange considering she skipped a grade."_

"What? She jumped a whole grade?", Johei asked.

Mimir nodded.

" _I checked around for headlines, but nothing popped up."_

"Something to take note of, then", Daichi said as he scratched his chin.

"Well, let's head back to class. Rendezvous afterschool and we'll hit up her place."

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Yuriko's House_

*ding* *dong*

Nobody came to answer the door. Kazuhiko looked behind him and everyone shrugged. Sighing, he rang the doorbell again.

*ding* *dong*

Again, nothing happened.

"I guess nobody's home?", Johei suggested.

" _The driveways empty and Yuriko's in the Mirror Dimension. Nobody would be home with those standards"_ , Skadi said.

"Well, what do we do now?", Mikan asked.

"We don't have enough time to wait for her parents to come back."

Everyone stared at each other until Daichi sighed.

"I wish I didn't have to do this, but we don't have a choice", Daichi made his way to the door. "Hugin, do you have it?"

The white crow nodded.

" _Absolutely! I most certainly have it! I would dare say that I have had it all my life! Nay, all of my existe-"_

"Just give me the lockpick!"

" _He doesn't have it"_ , Munin replied.

" _Brother! How could you betray me like that?!"_

" _It was taken by a thief in the morning. We shall pay recompense!"_

Daichi groaned and turned to the girls.

"Senpai, do you have a hairpin you wouldn't mind doing without?"

Mikan handed him a hairpin and he went to work on the lock. A minute later, there was a clicking sound and the door opened.

"Wait wait wait, isn't this breaking and entering?", a frantic Yoichi asked.

" _Yes, indeed it is, Yoichi-san. According to the government constitution, there are 15 more felonies possible , should we continue. Would you like to hear them?"_

" _Shut up, Encyclopedia Brown, we've got work to do"_ , Loki said.

Everyone walked inside the house and, much to Yoichi's relief, there were no security appliances.

"So, what should we look for?", Johei asked.

"Anything that has Yuriko-san and two other people", Kazuhiko replied.

" _I found something!"_ , Munin quickly said.

"Really? That was fast", Kazuhiko said.

Munin came back with a picture in his beak. In it was Yuriko with a man and a woman on either side of her.

"This is her parents", Kazuhiko told the black crow.

" _I see… "_

" _What about this?"_ , Hugin asked.

Kazuhiko looked at Hugin's picture and sighed.

"These are the same people."

" _No they're not. Look, it's a different person!"_

"Hugin, they just switched sides. They're the same people."

Sighing, he went back to searching the photo albums.

" _Hm? That's curious"_ , Tyr said.

"What?"

Tyr came back to the ground floor and held something in his hand.

"This photo; She's with two other people."

Kazuhiko took the photo and looked at it. In the picture, there was a boy and a girl on either side of Yuriko that looked around her age; They were all smiling and having their arms over each other. The girl, Kazuhiko had no idea who it was. The boy however…

"That guy looks a bit familiar; I can't put my finger on it, though," Kazuhiko said.

He called everyone over to the stairs and showed them the picture.

"This guy ring a bell?", he asked them, but everyone shook their head.

Sighing, he told everyone to keep looking.

"I've checked everywhere, but we can't find anything!", Johei said as he set down another photo album.

Kazuhiko, however, was still sitting at the staircase, staring at the photo.

"I swear I've seen this guy before, but where?", he said to himself.

Sighing, he turned it around, as if searching for a clue. To his surprise, there was writing on it.

"Huh, Yuriko Ikebukoro, _**Hikari Amano**_ , huh, must be the girl. As for the guy... "

Kazuhiko stared at the boy's name, not believing his eyes.

"Guys! Get over here, quick!"

Everyone rushed to the staircase to see what happened.

"Kaz! What's going on?"

"Here, this is the name of the guy", Kazuhiko said as he passed the photo around.

"What?!"

"No freakin' way!"

"That's him?"

Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Huh, the doors unlocked, honey? Did you forget to lock when we left?"

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice.

"... oh shit."

 _ **Aaaaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the late post, I have no excuses. You guys saw what's coming up at E3? So many to choose from, but Square Enix is finally making Kingdom Hearts III! No more beating around with bush with Kingdom Hearts 2.999999 and so on! Square Enix has not become Valve! Anyways, I hope you all are having a wonderful week. So who is the boy in the picture? How is the SPT gonna make it out of this mess? Wait until next week to find out. Read, review, follow, or favorite this story if you haven't already! And if you're an artist, please follow my Google+ page for this story. If it's not too much trouble, can someone post some fanart of the characters? You don't have to, but I suck at art. Anyways, here's the short story. See ya!**_

 _What It Means To Be a Game_

"Brothers! Sisters! Whatever you are, hear my cry now!"

"We are mocked for our immaturity, criticized for our violence, even shunned for our effects on health!"

"But shall we stand for this? No!"

"We shall face those critics head on! We shall ready ourselves for the battle and fight!"

"Because it does not matter what game we are, be it the bloodiest Mortal Kombat or the most innocent Harvest Moon, we are all family in this world!"

"So raise your laser-katana! Embrace the sun! Tear off your mask and summon your Persona! For tonight, we will show every single one of them!"

"We do it not only for that one special person or the entire world. We don't fight just merely to be greatest in the world, nay the universe, nay the entire city!"

"What connects us all is that we know that this isn't just a game to us! It is our entire world! And we will not let them take that from us!"

"Now, CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!"

"Johei, what the heck are you doing?", Kazuhiko asked.

"Trust me, dude! We're gonna be a game some day! I can feel it!"

"But, really? We're in the middle of a meeting."

"Fine, killjoy"

 _ **So happy for E3!**_


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

 _June 10, 2021; Monday_

 _Yuriko's House; Living Room_

 _(Afternoon)_

"Shit! Hide!", Johei said as he ducked into the hallway.

Kazuhiko started to sweat intensely; Yuriko's parents didn't see them yet, but they blocked the one way out of the house.

"Huh? What happened here?", a male voice said.

He hid in a closet door and quietly closed it.

"Tyr!", he whispered.

"Where's everyone else?"

" _Johei, Daichi, and Mikan are around the corner in the hallway. Iselin and Yoichi are hiding in the garage, but Mr. Ikebukoro is headed there!"_

Kaz cursed and looked through the gap between the door and the frame.

"Can you check if anyone's outside of the closet?"

Tyr phased through the door and looked both ways before returning.

" _You're in the clear. Go!"_

Kaz opened the door and shut it behind him while he made his way closer to the door.

"Could you get the garage door open? I need to move the car in."

"Son of a bitch!"

 _ **Yoichi and Iselin's POV**_

"Crap! Did you hear that?!", Iselin said to Yoichi.

Yoichi looked around the garage for a way out, but didn't see anything.

"We're gonna get caught. We'll be arrested and I'll probably get raped in jail."

Iselin gave him a weird look.

"The hell are you talking about? My chances of getting raped are higher than yours!"

" _Can we save that topic for later Iselin-san?"_ , Hildr said as she came from through the wall.

" _He's coming here!"_

Iselin made a quick scan around the room for a place to hide.

"Uh, christmas lights, canned foods, hey! A clothes rack!"

"This isn't the time to be going through clothes!", Yoichi hissed at her.

"Just get in Doctor Strange!"

"Don't call me that!"

 _ **Mr. Ikebukoro's POV**_

"Hm?"

Mr. Ikebukoro looked around the garage. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shrugging, he pressed the button to open the garage door and went back inside the house.

"I could have sworn I heard something."

 _ **Johei, Mikan, and Daichi's POV**_

"Okay, let's move!", Johei said once Mr. Ikebukoro left for the garage.

"But what about everyone else?", Mikan asked.

"They'll get arrested for trespassing and we'll pick them up from jail one Kaz bails them out with all the Niflheim money he's been keeping."

" _I knew you were a cowardly swine!"_ , Skadi said as she pointed an accusing finger at Johei.

"YIPES!"

Johei jumped and staggered back into the open way.

"I could have sworn I heard something", he heard Mr. Ikebukoro say.

"Get back here you idiot!", Daichi said as he grabbed the collar of Johei's shirt.

Mr. Ikebukoro passed by them and soon, Iselin, Yoichi, and Kazuhiko caught up with them.

" _It doesn't seem like they'll be going anytime soon"_ , Tyr said.

" _So, I'm guessing going by the front door is pretty much suicide?"_ , Loki asked.

" _Indefinitely"_

"So where else do we go? We can't here; they'll find us eventually!", Johei said.

" _What about the back?"_ , Hildr suggested.

"There's a wall blocking us; there's no way out", Daichi replied.

" _I've got it!"_ , Hugin suddenly said.

" _Me too!"_ , Munin quickly replied.

Everyone turned to the crows.

"What, you know a way out?", Kazuhiko asked.

" _What? No! The boy in the picture is Soratsu!"_ , Munin cawed.

Everyone stayed silent for several minutes.

*BOP* *BOP*

" _Ow!"_

" _Hey!"_

"Way too late you two!", Daichi said as he hit both of them in the back of the head.

"Wait! Our Persona can carry us over!", Kazuhiko suddenly told everyone.

"We'll wait until we have enough time to get into the back and have them carry us over the wall."

Everyone nodded and waited for the Ikebukoros to go out the front door.

"Now!"

Everyone made a mad dash for the backyard and went to the side.

"Alright, set the groceries right over in the kitchen."

The two adults came back into the house with bags in their hands.

"Now or never, guys!"

The SPT held onto their Persona and leaped onto the wall, running towards the front. Once they touched ground, they ran for the mall as fast as their legs could carry them.

 _Later…_

"That was too close! Way too close!", Johei said.

The group had gathered at their usual table at the cafe. Everyone was panting from all the running and were currently taking a break.

" _May I be the first to note, as they say, 'I called it'?"_ , Mimir said to everyone.

"Can it; The important thing is that we got what we were looking for, right Kaz?", Iselin asked their leader.

Kazuhiko nodded and produced the photo for everyone.

"It's hard to believe that Soratsu was Yuriko's friend, though", Mikan pondered.

"I wonder what happened."

"Well now, we have the password to get to the higher floors, don't we?", Johei asked.

"What are we waiting for? Let's head over there tomorrow afte-"

"I want to talk to Ryunosuke-kun about this", Kazuhiko suddenly interrupted.

Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy.

" _Why? We already know that he's a horrible male scumbag, isn't that enough?"_ , Skadi said.

" _Again! Feminazi! I keep telling you guys!"_ , Loki said to everyone while pointing at Skadi.

"Because I want to get a good grip on the situation before we head in there. Who knows, it might be helpful in our fight."

Johei pondered the idea for a little while.

"Yeah, you've got a point, partner. Alright then, we'll help you talk to him tomorrow."

Everyone left after a few minutes of chatting and finishing their drinks.

 _Meanwhile…_

Ken held his phone and pressed it to his ear while he was at the counter.

" _Feminazi! I keep telling you guys!... Who knows, it might be helpful in our fight._ "

Chuckling, he put the phone away.

"And that is how you track someone, Nanako-chan."

 _June 18, 2021; Tuesday_

 _Kyuto High, Rooftop_

 _(Lunchtime)_

"You see him anywhere, guys?"

"He's not in the courtyards or other rooftops", Johei replied into his phone.

" _Oh, wait is that… nope, false alarm"_ , Loki said as he looked over the railing.

Johei sighed and continued looking from the rooftop.

" _Is it just me or does this Soratsu guy harder to find than usual? He usually sticks out like a sore thumb."_

"Huh, now that you mention it, he doesn't seem like the guy to blend in with the crowd", Johei said after putting down his binoculars.

It made sense, considering the fact that Soratsu didn't wear the standard uniform at all as well as having his hair bleached blonde and his posse of grunts dressed accordingly. Now that he couldn't be found was like lady luck punching them all square in the face.

"Ugh! This is driving me crazy! I wonder how everyone else is doing?"

 _ **Mikan and Yoichi POV**_

"Do you know where Soratsu usually goes?", Mikan asked a bunch of sketchy students hanging around the old building.

"Why hang with Soratsu when I'm already here for you, baby?"

Yoichi frowned.

"Hey, we need to know, it's important!"

The student scratched his chin.

"Well, I'll tell you where he is… for a price."

"Why you!"

Yoichi got ready to punch him, but Mimir held him back

 _ **Dangstaboy: Yeah, I'm not sure how he does that**_

" _Yoichi, there's no need to get into a fight"_ , Mimir told him.

Yoichi let out a deep breath and nodded.

"Thanks, Mimir."

" _Besides, Mikan already has that covered."_

"What?"

Yoichi turned to see Mikan rubbing her knuckles after she beat up the students.

"Alright, now are you ready to talk?"

" _Mika-san"_ , Skadi said,

" _You knocked them out."_

 _ **Iselin and Daichi POV**_

"Why are you wearing those?", Iselin asked Daichi.

"Just a little theory I'm working on", he replied

Daichi was wearing a pair of gag glasses, complete with a nose-cover and mustache.

"All of the girls think I'm really 'cool'. By wearing these, it creates a paradox within their mind that makes them think that I'm not Daichi Amasawa."

Iselin rolled her eyes.

"Sure, like that's gonna work."

" _The fact that you think women are that simple makes me lose respect for you"_ , Hildr told him,

" _Congratulations, you are now on par with Johei."_

Daichi looked hurt behind the glasses, but otherwise continued.

"This is bullshit, look, I'll prove it."

She walked over to a girl and waved hello.

"Hey! See who **I'm** hanging out with?"

The girl looked at Daichi with a puzzled expression and slowly backed away from Iselin.

"Uh, nice. Good for you."

Iselin was dumb-founded.

"Are you shitting me? It's Daichi! Daichi Amasawa!"

The girl looked at Daichi again and shook her head.

"No, that's definitely not him."

"What makes you so sure?!"

"He's wearing ridiculous glasses; Daichi-dono's too cool to wear that."

Iselin clutched her head angrily while Daichi chuckled.

"Told you so."

 _ **Kazuhiko's POV**_

" _Still no word from the others?"_ , Tyr asked.

"Nothing. I'm surprised he hasn't shown up yet."

Kazuhiko checked the last classroom and came up with nothing.

"And he's not here either. Maybe he skipped class?"

" _He does seem the type to do so. But for a whole week? It doesn't seem logical."_

"Right now, my entire life defies logic; Having some logic from before we met right now would defy my current life's logic. I wouldn't think too hard about it."

Tyr stopped scratching his chin and sighed.

" _Well, we should come up with a better plan. Do you have any ideas?"_

Kazuhiko walked into his classroom and sat down at his desk.

"Yes… but… no, not that."

Tyr raised an eyebrow.

" _What? Any plan is better than the one we have right now."_

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"There's a big risk behind it, one I don't want to take."

" _Well then, tell it to everyone at our meeting. I'm sure you're the only one who thinks it's a bad plan."_

"And a little while later... ", Kazuhiko muttered to himself.

 _A little while later… literally…_

" _This is a horrible plan"_ , Tyr said to Kazuhiko.

"Funny how I predicted this would happen", Kazuhiko said.

Everyone was at an outside table in front of Shigure's; It was an open space with nobody around; A perfect place for a private meeting.

"You're right, Kaz, this is really risky", Mikan said.

"But we could win him over! More allies that could help with our cause!", Yoichi reasoned.

" _Our probability of success is in the green, we could pull it off with time to spare"_ , Mimir said after making some calculations.

"It'll go against everything that we fought for up to now", Daichi commented.

" _Heed Master Daichi's words!"_ , Hugin cawed.

" _For they bear great wisdom!"_ , Munin said.

"I really don't know what to do here", Johei commented.

"Sorry, what did I miss?", Iselin asked as she came back to the table.

Kazuhiko sighed as he repeated his plan.  
"Alright, so I came to the conclusion that tracking down Ryunosuke-san is a lost cause. But, his reflection might be a different story-"

"So we're going down to the other world to track him down?", Iselin asked

"It seems more trouble than finding him on this side."

"As I was saying", Kazuhiko continued,

"We'll be searching for him in Niflheim. As for getting his reflection there, we're going to be needing some help from our friends the Harbingers."

Iselin raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment until a look of realization dashed across her face.

"You can't be serious… "

Kazuhiko looked at her straight in the eyes.

"I'm dead serious."

Iselin looked towards everyone else with expectant eyes, but they all met her with the same gaze.

"Well then, since everyone's been properly informed", Kaz started,

"I guess we should have a vote. All those that oppose?"

"I'm against it", Mikan said.

" _I think it's safe to say that us Persona will vote alongside our users"_ , Skadi commented.

" _I will vote no as well."_

"Same here", Daichi pitched in,

"Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but I think we're crossing the line here."

" _I shall agree with Master Daichi as well!"_ , Hugin said.

" _As will I"_ , Munin chirped in.

"You guys count as one", Kazuhiko said,

"It's the only way to keep things fair."

"Crossing the line?!", Johei suddenly asked.

"We've done tons of shit that was borderline crazy! Besides, if he dies, we're doing everyone he's harassed a public service!"

" _For once, I actually agree with him; Let's do it"_ , Loki said.

Yoichi sighed as he stood up.

"I don't approve of Johei's ramblings, but I'm with him on this. We'll send a request and rescue him; I don't plan on failing."

" _And calculating our past endeavors, we have a high chance of pulling through"_ , Mimir added.

"Four against four I see", Kazuhiko said.

He turned to Iselin, waiting for an answer.

"Well?"

Iselin turned from Kaz to the rest of the group, and then to Hildr.

" _I'll stand by you every step of the way"_ , she told her,

" _Your wish is my command."_

Iselin looked at the table thinking. Finally, she looked up.

"Using that horrible… request was hard to go through the first time. A second… I don't think I can do it."

Kazuhiko sighed and stood up.

"Then I guess we'll skip Soratsu and continue saving Yuriko the-"

"But", Iselin interrupted,

"I'll agree to follow through with the plan provided that you make the request."

Iselin pulled out her phone and handed it to Kazuhiko. Kaz looked surprised and reluctantly took the phone from her.

"I'm the only one who used it so I have the link", she explained.

"I'll give you a day to make a decision".

And with that, everyone agreed to disband and left Kazuhiko alone at the table. Now by himself, Kazuhiko looked down at Iselin's phone; The screen was turned off and he stared at his own reflection.

"*sigh*, Tyr, what should I do?"

Tyr remained silent and shrugged his shoulders. Kaz looked back at the phone until he heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me, sir, but are you going to order?"

 _Later…_

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 _(Evening)_

"The disappearance of one Yuriko Ikebukoro has left a family of two worried", the newscaster said.

"She was last seen at Kyuto High on- *bzzt*"

Kazuhiko switched off the TV and looked down on his desk once again.

" _Still trying to make a decision?"_ , Tyr asked.

Kazuhiko nodded and leaned back in his chair.

"Can't you help me at all?"

Tyr shook his head.  
" _I am you; If you are unable to make a decision, then I can't do anything."_

Kazuhiko turned back to the phone, weighing his options.

" _But, if it helps"_ , Tyr continued.

" _I think that we won't fail no matter what decision you make."_

Kazuhiko gave his Persona a comforting smile. After giving it some more thought, he stood up.

"Alright, I've made my decision."

He took out his phone and opened the chat room.

 _Kaz: Hey guys, I've decided_

 _Johei: And?_

 _Iselin: Wut did u desid on?_

 _Daichi: Will you please use proper grammar?_

 _Mikan: Guys, give him some space_

 _Yoichi: Well then?_

 _Kazuhiko: I'm making the request tonight. Tomorrow, we're rescuing him._

 _June 19, 2021; Wednesday_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 49_

 _(Afterschool)_

"Hikari Amano and Soratsu Ryunosuke", Kazuhiko spoke.

A faint shattering noise was heard and the barrier broke down. Cautiously, Kazuhiko readied his sword for any surprise attacks. When he found the corridor empty, he let a breath of relief escape from him.

"Yoichi, what floor?"

"He's at the next one; Floor 51", Yoichi replied when he brought up a heads-up display of the dungeon.

The team looked around them and realized that their surroundings were different.

"Say, is it just me or is the air more… hostile?", Johei asked.

Everyone checked their surroundings and noticed that the corridor was slightly different than before.

"You're not wrong there", Iselin replied,

"And did it just get a bit darker?"

Yoichi went to work scanning and soon answered.

"It seems we're in a whole new block of Niflheim. To be exact, Block B."

" _Right now, we've got bigger fish to fry"_ , Loki said.

As the team rushed past shadows and, occasionally, took some head on, they started to feel some pressure as they found the stairs. After taking a few deep breaths, Kaz instinctively reached out to the door and pushed it open.

*BANG*

A bullet whizzed past Kazuhiko, narrowingly missing his face by half an inch, and embedded itself into the door with a thud.

"Holy-! Get down!", Iselin said as she ducked behind the stairs.

Kaz looked forward and noticed a lone figure in the middle of the room holding a smoking gun. In a nonchalant manner, the person brought the barrel close to their face and blew away the smoke.

" _That was just a warning shot"_ , he said,

" _The next one's just beggin' for you."_

Kazuhiko became wary of the gun and stood where he was.

"I'm guessing it's safe to say that you're the one who ordered Yuriko-san's suicide, right?"

Soratsu's reflection chuckled as it fiddled with the safety switch.

" _And what about it? What's so important? S'not like anyone's gonna miss her."_

Johei was about to rush towards him, but Mikan held him back.

"And what gives you the right to be the judge, jury, and executioner?", Kaz pressed on.

He slowly started walking around the room, but the reflection didn't seem to care.

" _What I don't get is why you're defending her; She's a menace! Just going around being a pervert; Stealing panties. Honestly, between her and me, she's the more dangerous one."_

"This coming from a gang member", Johei shot back.

The reflection now redirected its attention to the prankster.

" _You want to know the irony? I actually don't kill people; Hurt them, of course I do, but I never killed someone like she did."_

Everyone's eyes grew wide at that.

"Wait, Yuriko killed someone?", Yoichi asked

"But if that's true, why wasn't she arrested? Let alone, why wasn't it in the papers?"

"Because he's lying", Johei said,

"There's no way Yuriko-san would do something like that. There's no evidence of something like that happening in here so he has to be lying, right Loki?"

Loki, however, remained silent.

"... Loki?"

"…"

Johei looked up at his Persona, but the only facial expression that was on the monitor was a loading screen.

"Come on, man, say something. He's gotta be wrong."

" _Wouldn't you like to know?"_ , Soratsu's reflection mused.

" _Well, I suppose I have no time for that. Time to finish you guys off before you reach her!"_

Soratsu aimed his gun at Johei and started to pull the trigger until-

*SHING*

" _AUGH!"_

Soratsu's reflection held onto its severed hand and glared at Kazuhiko who had took the advantage of moving around the room and his anger focused Johei to close the distance.

"Word of advice next time, don't monologue", he told him.

Soratsu's reflection started to fume with rage as it grew.

" _Why you… I'll… I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"_

The reflection started to swell up to a larger size, as if he was a balloon being pumped up with lots of air. Then, it reached its climax and caused a large explosion, spraying black shadow gunk everywhere. Everyone looked back once the ooze had finished spewing to reveal a hulking giant before them.

" _You all never saw Yuriko the way I did… she deserves to die! If you get in my way at all, then you're sure to suffer the same fate!"_

The giant had four arms, the top two each holding a weapon while the bottom two held leashes for…

"Holy shit, are those wyrms?!", Iselin asked in amazement.

" _Worms? What are you, blind? Those are dragons"_ , Loki replied.

"Shut up, Windows XP!"

The two dragons were attached to very long chains. They seemed to be quite powerful, but their range was restricted from the leashes. Soratsu had transformed into a frost-colored giant with bright red eyes. In his other hands, he held a double bladed axe and a hammer with a short handle.

" _ **Thunderous Strike**_ _!"_ , Soratsu yelled as he held up the hammer and charged it with lightning.

Once thunder had struck the hammer, he smashed it down towards Kazuhiko.

"Tyr!"

" _ **High Counter**_ _!"_

Tyr blocked the attack and absorbed the lightning damage only to shrug the hammer away and fly up towards Soratsu's face and send a right haymaker to his jaw.

*BAM*

" _Hm?"_

Tyr looked in confusion as Soratsu took the attack head on. A split second later, Tyr was flying back down to the ground.  
"What happened up there?", Kaz asked his Persona.

" _Some kind of… barrier; I'm not sure."_

Kazuhiko changed his shackles to new ones and summoned Virtue.

"Alright, if physical won't work how about some wind?"

" _In the name of the lord Jesus Christ, son of God, Savior of man, I cast_ _ **Magarula**_ _!"_

The powerful wind struck Soratsu head-on, but he seemed to not have taken too much damage.

" _That all you've got? This'll be easier than I thought it would be._ _ **Mighty Swing**_ _!"_

The giant swung his axe in a wide arc, narrowly missing Johei's head.

"Alright, time for a counter attack!", Johei yelled as he used his spear as a vaulting pole and launched himself into the air.

He poised the spear head down, ready to strike.

"W-wait! Johei sto-!"

*TING*

Johei was sent backwards and feel towards the ground. Yoichi sighed as he continued.

"He's using _**Shell**_ , a physical defensive skill. We won't make a mark on him with direct attacks."

" _He also has an_ _ **Absorb Lightning**_ _as well"_ , Mimir added.

The wyrm dragons started to make their move as they aimed their sights at Iselin, gnashing their teeth. Daichi realized what was happening.

"Iselin, get down!"

He tackled her to the ground as the crow brothers did the same to Hildr.

" _Get down, Mr. President!"_

" _I'm a woman!"_

The dragons spat out a glowing green liquid that landed behind the group and started melting the ground.

"What the hell was that?!", Iselin asked as she got back from the ground.

"Wyrm blood", Daichi answered,

"Really acidic; would have melted through you in two seconds."

The team regrouped together behind a pillar to talk strategy while hiding from the giant and his pet dragons.

"Okay, Kaz, idea time! Go!", Johei said.

"I've got nothing yet."

The group waited for a little while longer until Kaz replied after thinking a little more.

"... Still got nothing."

" _There you are!"_

The giant knocked the pillar to the side and swung his hammer down on the place they were about two seconds ago.

"What do you mean?! You've gotta have something! _**Masukaja**_!"

"You just can't rush things like this! The last plan I came up with was so crazy that I'm still not sure it might work!"

The battle continued on with the SPT dodging the several attacks until they were exhausted. For the time being, they decided to try and take out the wyrms to even the odds. Wherever they were hiding, the shadow always seemed to find them.

"That's it! Mikan, freeze the ground!"

Mikan did so and held the dragons in place. Kazuhiko quickly followed up with an _**Agi**_ gem at their feet.

*HSS*

The intense heat of the fire spell caused the ice to turn into steam which shot into the dragons' nostrils. The team quickly hid under the cover of the makeshift smokescreen while the dragons recovered their sense of smell.

" _You can't hide forever! Come on out!"_

*THOCK*

" _Hm? AH!"_

The wyrms suddenly jumped on him and started attacking him, spitting their acidic blood all over him.

" _Hey! Down! Off! Get off!"_

His pets seemed to intent on attacking him that they didn't even hear a word of his protests. With no other choice, he swiftly removed their heads with his axe.

"Big mistake, shit-head", Iselin said as she stepped out of the hiding spot.

The blood of the now deceased wyrms had spilled onto him, melting through his skin and decomposing the outer shell that he had formed.

"AH! AAAAHHH!"

Johei patted Kazuhiko on the back in congratulations.

"Nice job, partner!"

"Thanks. If they couldn't see anything, they would go straight for their sense of smell. By the way, thank you for your contribution."

Daichi looked annoyed, seeing as how his shirt was first skewered through by Mikan's arrow, but now also melted by the acid.

"Whatever, you guys owe me a new shirt."

"Well then, next time, remember your own deodorant", Johei shot back.

"You took my deodorant yesterday during Gym!"

"..."

Iselin, however, remained silent.

"Uh, Iselin? Are you alright?"

"..."

More silence. Mikan looked in the boys' direction and quickly turned back with a flushed face. Daichi, on the other hand, remained oblivious.

"What, what's wrong?"

Sighing, Yoichi gave him his jacket to put on until they found him some more clothes. Soratsu's reflection laid face-down on the ground, trying to push himself up.

" _You… you haven't beat me yet!"_

It started to run at Kazuhiko with its fist raised. He readied himself for the impact, but Johei moved in front of him and slammed the thug onto the ground.

" _Hgh!"_. Johei's hand kept a firm grasp on his throat, causing the reflection to fight for the smallest of breaths.

Only until Kaz tapped his shoulder di Johei relent.

"Alright, so what's your deal with Yuriko-san? Spill it all."

Soratsu breathed in several gulps of air before responding.

" _Piss… off!"_

Johei then set his foot down on Soratsu's ribs, which made him cry in pain.

" _Please! Stop! It hurts!"_

" _Huh, bet you didn't stop when she begged for you to. Why should we?"_ , Loki asked with a dark tone.

He looked around with pleading eyes at everyone, hoping to find some pity, but he found none. Giving up, he replied.

" _Alright, alright, you want the story? You got it!"_

Johei gave him a few moments to recover before answering.

" _It was quite a while back; We were in Junior High with our friend Hikari Amano"_

 _(Flashback)_

"Geez, what's taking your boyfriend so long?", Yuriko asked.

She and Hikari had been waiting at the station for almost an hour.

"Do you think he forgot? He has been busy lately", Hikari suggested, but Yuriko shook her head.

"Nah, even a numbskull like him wouldn't forget today. That concerts all he's been talking about for a whole week."

"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?", a voice called out to them.

A younger, more sophisticated looking Soratsu appeared out of the crowds with three tickets for a Risette concert.

"Finally, you could have at least given us a call or something; You got Hikari-chan worried over nothing", Yuriko said out of annoyance.

The three got onto a train and made their way to their destination.

"What took you so long?", Hikari asked Soratsu.

The boy was nursing his arm and didn't respond. Yuriko, who noticed the action, suddenly grabbed his hand and rolled back the sleeve.

"*gasp* What happened to you?"

A purple bruise was starting to form on his arm and he winced in pain at the sudden movement. Hikari looked at his arm as well and quickly looked in the small cooler they were lugging around.

"Here, this should help. Besides, nobody drinks Diet Pepshu."

 _ **Sorry, just gonna butt in. If you didn't notice, that was a reference to Diet Pepsi. The only thing worse than regular Pepsi is the diet version. If you didn't realize it, I'm a Coca-cola lover.**_

Yuriko still looked unconvinced.

"It's them again, isn't it?"

Soratsu chuckled nervously as he weighed his options until…

"Ah! It's our stop! Let's go, don't want to be late!"

He rushed out of the train while the two girls followed him in pursuit.

 _A few weeks later…_

"Are you sure he's alright? He hasn't been skipping classes on purpose, has he?"

Yuriko shook her head and tried to reassure the teacher.

"Of course not! He's just… feeling a bit under the weather! That's all."

The teacher look unconvinced, but let her out of class. Yuriko let out a deep breath.

"Jeez, you really owe me Soratsu. What are you up to anyway?"

 _A week later…_

"You're part of the Yakuza?!"

Yuriko stared at the new Soratsu in disbelief. He was now in a Yakuza Enforcer garb with his hair slicked back in a pompadour. Soratsu nodded in response.  
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but this is who I am. I never realized it, but being in this seat of power has changed everything for me! Even the bullies who beat me up in Junior High are too scared to even look at me!"

"But this isn't you! You know it!"

Soratsu shook his head as he turned around.

"There's always a price we pay for peace of mind. Anyways, I'll see you later!"

 _Yet another week later…_

"What? But you don't like how I am?"

Hikari shook her head.

"I… I thought that… I thought Yuriko was joking… "

"But I'm a lot tougher now! You don't have to deal with all those guys teasing you for dating me!"

"It was the old you that I loved!", she said back to him.

"You've changed for the worse; I never wanted to see you like this."

Hikari walked off as Soratsu watched her go.

 _The next day…_

"I need to talk to her! Let me go!"

The student shook his head as he blocked the staircase to the roof.

"She doesn't want to see you. Can't you take a hint."

In a fit of rage, Soratsu grabbed the student by the collar and threw him out of the way. He made his way up the stairs and saw Yuriko and Hikari sitting next to each other. Yuriko turned around and shot him a glare.

"You don't know when to quit do you?", she asked him.

"Shut up! She's my girlfriend! I have a right to talk to her."

Hikari looked at Soratsu and turned away, crying.

"Hikari… please, let me talk to you."

"Leave her alone! She's… she's not your girlfriend any more!"

"Says who?", Soratsu snarled at Yuriko.

A good deal of students and made their way to the roof to break up the fight, but Soratsu threatened them to stay back.

"Says me… her… girlfriend… "

Everyone gasped as Yuriko said that; Hikari looked shocked as her friend stated something she was so certain was a lie. Soratsu just shook his head.

"You're bluffing! There's no way in hell that she'd go for you."

Yuriko looked hesitant, as if she had been backed into a corner. Then, before she could think clearly, she turned to Hikari and held her cheek. She stared at her other best friend and closed the distance between their faces. Another round of gasps emerged, but Soratsu just stared in shock at what was happening. After they finished, Soratsu clenched his teeth and stomped off.

 _A month later…_

The school was assembled in front of a casket being lowered into the ground. A few were crying, but mostly remained silent. Yuriko looked at the portrait of Hikari as the dirt was being filled over her coffin. After the ceremony, she stayed behind, just staring at the grave.

"This is your fault, you know?", a voice said to her.

She turned around and saw Soratsu glaring at her.

"Everything I did, I did for Hikari. And you just had to ruin it."

 _(Flashback End)_

" _She was always being picked on because of me, and I couldn't stand it"_ , Soratsu's reflection said to everyone.

" _I tried to get tougher and ran into the Yakuza who gave me a position. I accepted and eventually the bullying stopped. I thought she would be happy, but it was the exact opposite."_

He stayed silent as the group digested the information.

" _Later, after Yuriko pulled her stunt, Hikari couldn't take it anymore and hung herself from the ceiling at her house. Her parents didn't want any of this news being leaked out so they stopped the newspapers from questioning as well as tearing down web-pages of the incident. Only a few students from Kyuto High know, the others had moved."_

"It still sounds like crap to me", Johei spat at him.

Soratsu flinched at the insult and didn't answer.

"Johei, you shouldn't be too rough on him", Mikan said, but Johei shook his head.

"If she said that she already liked you before, then why did you change? It's obvious that you already were worth it if she went through the teasing."

" _I didn't want her to suffer-"_

"And she wasn't; She loved you the way that you were. That was more than enough for her. And then you blame Yuriko for this when she was trying to make you realize it. It was because of your pig-headedness that made her take drastic measures and led to Hikari's death. Her blood is on your hands just as well as Yuriko's."

Reflection Soratsu closed his eyes and rubbed his eyelids with his fingers.

" _All this time… why didn't I realize it?"_

He looked up and nodded to everyone.

" _I'm sorry for everything I've caused you guys; I don't think I deserve your forgiveness"_

" _Damn straight"_ , Skadi said, but Mikan shook her head as if to tell her to save it for later.

" _But please, save Yuriko. Right now, it's what Hikari would have wanted as her friend."_

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Don't worry, she's not going to die on our watch. You rest up now."

Reflection Soratsu gave them a sad smile and slowly disappeared. They all watched him leave until Loki broke the silence.

" _Please don't tell me he's gonna join us."_

"It depends on whether he has a Persona or not", Kazuhiko answered.

" _Dammit!"_

Kazuhiko chuckled.

" _Although something tells me he won't be"_ , Tyr spoke,

" _He asked us to save Yuriko, not let him help save her; He doesn't want to get involved but still regrets his mistake. I guess it's a win for everyone here."_

Loki let out a sigh of relief as Yoichi butted in.

"So, we're going back on schedule tomorrow, right?"

"Right", Kaz answered.

They all made their way back to the safe room and stockpiled supplies for the next time they would return.

 _ **Aaaaaaand we are back! Sorry for the much later than usual update, guys. I had a pretty hectic beginning of the week. Not only did I have a behind-the-wheel test for my license (Which I passed!) and a job interview (still undetermined), I also had a really short draft for this. I thought to myself, "I can do better than that", and continued longer than I should have. I just didn't want to give you guys more cliffhangers! Anyways, introducing Staffthebest, DarkFenrir215, and Ford1114 in the new favorites list. You guys are beyond awesome! Also, read and review when you can, plus the TV tropes and Google+ page. Happy July 4th! See ya!**_

 _The "F" word_

Kazuhiko: What's Yuriko's status?

Yoichi: She just moved up another two floors.

Johei: What?! Are you kidding me?! What the *beep*?!

Kazuhiko: Uh, what was that?

Johei: I don't know. Something just happened when I said *beep*

Mikan: It happened again! What were you trying to say?

Johei: The "F" word. Wait, can I still cuss? Son of a bitch! Holy shit! Yeah, everything seems to be alright.

Dangstaboy: Actually, little known fact, nobody has ever said the "F" word in a Persona game for a looong time.

Johei: You're serious?

Dangstaboy: Dead serious.

Iselin: There has to be at least one person who said it.

Dangstaboy: Actually, yeah, you're right. Hey! Ryuji, come over here for a second.

 _Ryuji Sakamoto walks in while audience applauds_

Ryuji: Huh? What's up?

Dangstaboy: What are your thoughts on Kamoshida?

Ryuji: Who, that shit-head? Fucker's still rotting in jail at this point

Johei: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You can do that?

Ryuji: Do what?

Johei: Say the word *beep*, I mean the "F" word

Ryuji: Yeah, I guess. Something wrong with it?

Atlus Security: Pardon me, are you Ryuji Sakamoto?

Ryuji: Uh, yeah.

Atlus Security: I see. Take him down!

Ryuji: Wha- Hey! What the fu-

Atlus Security: Gag him! Take the glitch back to HQ! I really apologize for what he has done. Excuse me.

 _Everyone stares at each other, not sure what happened._

 _ **Oh yeah, if you don't know, Ryuji does say the "F" word in Persona 5 somewhere in Futaba's palace. Check it up on NicoB's videos or something.**_


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Suspicion; Scar

 _June 20, 2021; Thursday_

 _Kyuto High; Hallways_

 _(After School)_

"And that's the last of 'em!", Mr. Seijimura said as he wiped his hands on his overalls.

Kazuhiko heaved the last trash can's contents into the garbage disposal and set the can down onto the cart.

" _You really do like to spend time with Shura, don't you?"_ , Tyr asked Kazuhiko.

"Well, he's a nice old man. By the way, why are you calling him Shura?"

Tyr shrugged.

" _I'm not used to using last names like you are; It's more natural to use first names for me."_

"Well then, how are you holdin' up, son?"

Kazuhiko turned and answered him.

"I'm doing pretty well. Summer Vacation comes next month, so I'm kind of excited."

Mr. Seijimura nodded with a smile on his face.

"I wouldn't be surprised; After finals are over, everyone wants to get out of their stuffy classroom. 'Course, I'd give anything to see their faces when the results come back."

Kazuhiko thought of Johei and Iselin's faces when they were to receive their grades and chuckled at the thought.

"Speaking of summer, what will you be doing during the vacation?", Kazuhiko asked.

Mr. Seijimura's smile slowly darkened and he looked at the ground.

"Well, I'll be staying at home. Not really much to do for my job at that time, I guess. Then, there's other matters I must attend to… "

He paused for a moment and let out a heavy sigh. After a few moments, he wiped his nose with his sleeve and turned to Kaz with a smiling face.

"Well, I think that's enough for today! I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."

Shura turned around and made his way to the janitors' office, leaving Kazuhiko with a few moments to think.

" _What was that feeling just now… "_

"Something's definitely bothering him, but what is it?", Kazuhiko thought to himself

"I'm never gonna find out anything if I don't speak up."

Mr. Seijimura stopped as he heard Kaz call out to him.

"Mr. Seijimura… you've been there to help me many times; Please, if there's anything that you need help with, then please don't hesitate to talk to me, sir!"

After a few moments passed, Mr. Seijimura smiled and nodded.

"Right, of course I will."

As Mr. Seijimura continued walking, Kaz felt something click in his mind.

 **Rank Up! The Hermit Arcana: Level 4!**

 _?_

 _Niflheim; Floor 60_

 **Yuriko's POV**

Yuriko sat in the middle of the room, hugging her legs. Every now and then, she would look up, but she always met the gaze of her doppelganger. The clone smiled right back at her stretched a little bit.

" _Come on! Talk to me! It's not everyday you get to have a one-on-one with yourself!"_

Yuriko tiredly hid her face in her knees again.

" _Come on! Pweeease?"_

Yuriko sighed and looked up again.

"Alright then, you can start by telling me why I'm here."

Clone Yuriko laid back down on the ground rested her head with her hands.

" _I think you already know that. With what's going on here, the answer seems pretty obvious."_

"So the suicide cases, huh? I'll bet that asshole Soratsu wanted to get revenge. What a piece of shit."

" _Now now, is that how you talk about your friends?"_ , Clone Yuriko asked her.

Yuriko's glare turned into a sad smile.

"I guess you're right; I can't pin the blame on him. It's my fault that she's gone, and my fault alone."

Yuriko laid on her back and looked at the ceiling, or the darkness where there should have been one.

"Maybe I do deserve this… to be trapped here for eternity and eventually die by my own undoing… "

" _Come on! That doesn't sound like you!"_

Clone Yuriko looked down at her while she stood above her.

" _The real you would be all, 'I've got to live for her sake! I can't die now!'"_

Yuriko looked back to her annoying clone and shook her head.

"Yeah, go ahead and think that."

The clone sighed and crossed her arms.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone."

She started to walk off, but she paused and spoke again.

"Just remember, I'll always come when you call me."

Clone Yuriko walked out of the room and left Yuriko by herself. She went back to sitting down in the middle and hugged her knees once again.

"Huh, that's probably what I would have said... "

 _Around the same time…_

 _(After School)_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim: Floor 58_

"Quick! Everyone inside!", Kaz yelled as he held the door to the safe room wide open.

The rest of the group ran as quickly as they could to the room, stopping only to launch a few attacks to their pursuer. Daichi stopped and yanked on his chains until the links broke and dissipated.

" _ **Garudyne**_!"

Hugin and Munin flapped their wings and enveloped their attacker with a tornado, but it quickly shrugged off the attack and aimed one of its revolvers at Daichi.

*BANG*

"AUGH! Son of a bitch!"

The bullet hit Daichi in the arm and he knelt on his knee, holding his wounded arm.

"Daichi!"

" _Master!"_

Quickly, Johei took out the last of their smoke bombs and aimed it at the shadow's head.

"Take this, you ugly rat's ass!"

The smoke bomb bounced off the shadow's face and blew up, causing a large enough distraction for Kaz to pick up Daichi and rush him into saferoom.

"Alright, that's everyone", Kaz said as he set Daichi into a seat near the table.

"What in God's name was that?!", Johei asked Yoichi.

" _I only picked up one reading from that thing: The Reaper"_ , Mimir answered, clearly shaken from the encounter.

"Never mind that", Iselin interrupted

"How come nothing worked on that thing? And how will we be able to get to the higher floors with that abomination running around? We don't have enough time to rescue Ikebukoro-san!"

Yoichi suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

"What is it? Is it trying to come in here?", Kaz nervously asked as he readied his sword.

"No, actually, it just disappeared."

"What?"

Yoichi did another thorough search again and shook his head.

"If God really does exist, he's got a twisted sense of humor. It's not within 10 floors above or below us as far as I can tell."

Everyone let out a deep breath of relief and turned to the more pressing matter at hand.

"Daichi?", Mikan asked,

"Daichi, are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Huh… f-four", he replied.

They all looked at his arm. By now, he had bled a pool of blood; The worst part was the wound.

"I don't see a place where the bullet left your arm. Can you move it a little bit?"

"O-okay. *wince* Ah! Shit on a stick!"

Daichi had tried to move his right arm a little, but he was already in immense pain. Mikan cursed under her breath.

"I can see the bullet, but it's lodged in pretty tight. To make matters worse, it's ball ammo, and it's shattered his bone."

The situation looked grim; Mikan had to lay Daichi down on the table to get a better look at the wound.

"Can't we get him to the hospital?", Iselin asked

"We can't do this, better to leave it to the pros, right?"

Loki scoffed.

" _And tell them what? Our friend accidentally got shot in the arm by the Death the Goddamn Reaper?"_

Tyr shook his head.

" _For now, we need to get that bullet out of his arm; Then we can get him to a doctor without raising any suspicion."_

Mikan had taken a clean arrow from her quiver and used it as a makeshift scalpel. After cutting open the wound, she opened it up.

"I need some help here. Someone grab some tweezers and get the bullet out."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Hey, don't look at me! I'm not good with my hands… er, that came out wrong", Yoichi said.

"M-me neither… I'm not good with blood", Iselin squeeked.

Johei looked at Kaz until he noticed.

"What?"

"You remember how good you were with that crane game in the mall?", Johei asked.

Kazuhiko sighed and took up the pair of tweezers and joined Mikan at her side.

"Skadi, be ready to use Dia at any time."

" _Got it."_

Mikan scooted to the side enough for Kazuhiko to reach into the wound.

"Alright, Daichi, grit your teeth", he said.

Daichi nodded and closed his eyes.

"Here goes nothing… "

*yank*

"Hrgh!"

" _AUGH!"_

" _It hurts!"_

"Oh yeah, right", Kaz said as he made a mental note that Persona and users feel the same pain.

"Skadi, now!", Mikan said as she tugged at her links.

" _ **Dia**_!"

Skadi pressed her hands on the wound and some light flashed from it.

" _I've stopped the bleeding; He's not in any immediate danger, but we need to get him to Doctor Stiles soon; Only the Healing Touch can save him now"_ , Skadi said.

Everyone stared at Skadi with a strange look.

"Where did that come from?"

Skadi looked away while touching her index fingers together.

" _Um, well, I got really into this TV drama called Trauma Center. I watch it after you go to sleep sometimes."_

"That's besides the point", Kazuhiko interrupted

"Let's get him to the hospital."

 _Later…_

"Finally got some free time", Nanako said as she stretched.

After finishing her regular duties, Nanako decided to go around the mall like a normal teenager, only this time, she wasn't here to spy on Kaz and his group. She walked into a store and checked around for any good deals.

"Wow, this stuff is pretty good quality, although the prices are another story."

Suddenly, something caught her attention: A big sign that was colored pink and had a girl in detective garb on it.

"N… no way… "

Quickly, Nanako looked around and took some of the items in her shopping bag.

"Excuse me, I'd like to make a purchase on these items", she said to the clerk.

The cashier looked at the items curiously.

"Th-they're for my little cousin; Her birthday is coming soon", she explained

 _Later…_

"Nothing wrong here, just got out of a store where I had to pick up a lot of stuff", Nanako thought to herself.

She could already feel a bunch of stares from passersby at the giant bag she was holding. So what that she was holding a bunch of merchandise? It's for someone else, not her!

"Holy shit! Daichi, what happened to you?" a voice said from behind her.

She turned around and saw Kaz and his friends pick up a red-haired boy who was bleeding. Momentarily forgetting what she was doing, and rushed over.

"Kaz? What happened here?"

"Nanako! I, uh, just found Daichi here", he quickly said.

Skeptical about his response, she took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? I just found a teen who looks pretty injured. Can someone please send an ambulance to the shopping center?"

 _June 22, 2021; Saturday_

 _Kyuto High; Classroom 2-B_

 _(Afterschool)_

"So, can you move it all that well?"

Daichi shook his head.

"I need to wait for the bones to heal or else they'll break again and I'll get another round of surgery."

Kazuhiko sighed.

"Then you're not gonna be able to fight. Just when we're close to Yuriko-san, too."

" _Truly a shame to lose a strong fighter in the midst of the battle"_

Daichi looked down to the ground.

"I am truly sorry"

"No apologies needed, Captain Falcon", Iselin said.

Daichi glared at Iselin, but quickly came back to the subject.

" _The doctor person said he won't be able to heal until summer vacation starts"_ , Hugin told everyone.

" _He also said not to overexert himself",_ Munin followed up.

" _He also said he needs to reevaluate his lifestyle"_

" _He also said he should get out more often"_

" _He also said to get a girlfrie-"_

"Okay! I think that's enough!", Daichi stopped them.

"Then let's meet tomorrow. Make sure to pack some tools, Johei."

Johei nodded.

"Will do."

Loki followed Johei out of the classroom, rubbing his hands together.

" _Ooh, I can't wait to get started. Say, can I try making something?"_

"Does it involve me getting hurt and/or pranked?"

" _... spoilsport."_

Kazuhiko began to pack his bag until he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to find Nanako smiling up at him.

"Hey, bestie! I finally got some free time so want to go hang out?"

"Oh, sure!"

He put away his belongings and followed Nanako.

"So, any suggestions?", she asked.

"Well, you want to go to this town's Aiya's?"

 _Later…_

"Welcome to Shigure's! Please, have a seat!"

The two took a table and sat down as they looked over the menu. Nanako scanned her surroundings and felt a nostalgic feel to the place.

"Wow, you weren't kidding, it really does feel like Aiya's; All that's missing is the manager yelling out Aiyaaaa all the time."

"Shigureeeeeee! We have a number five and twelve at table seven."

"And there it is."

After ordering, the two had some time for themselves to talk.

"I hope you've settled down; It sure took you quite a while to unpack"

Nanako chuckled.

"Well, my dad was on a little break, but once he started working, I was the only one left to do the chores. I don't mind, though, it's something I like doing."

Their food had arrived and they both started to dig in. Halfway through her omelette and rice, Nanako sparked the conversation again.

"So, how's your friend doing? Amasawa-san?"

Alarms started to go off in Kazuhiko's mind, telling him to play things safely.

"Well, he's doing okay. He'll have a cast on until summer break, but he's doing fine."

Nanako nodded with content.

"Still, I wonder how he got injured; Nuzoko is usually a safe place."

"It might have been the Yakuza; You remember Soratsu, right?"

 _Damn, can't press him any further on that_ , Nanako thought.

"I mostly lived in Inaba for the majority of my life so I'm used to having nothing to do, but the city life must have your hands covered, huh?"

"Well, there certainly is a lot to do, although you can't beat the countryside; so quiet and peaceful."

They continued to talk and eat until it was the evening time. Then, they decided to part ways.

"Thanks for showing me around; We should hang out more often!", Nanako said to him.

He waved goodbye and made his way to the hotel.

 _ **Nanako Dojima POV**_

"Darn, that was the best lead I had", Nanako scolded herself.

The main reason for hanging out with Kaz was to get information and try to read the situation, but it all turned to naught; there was no way she could get him to spill something at this rate.

Seeing no further reason to scold herself, she settled for a disappointed sigh.

"I bet Amada-san would have been able to get the info… "

" _Stop beating yourself; there's nothing you could have done"_ , a voice told her.

"*sigh* just let me have this, please."

She could sense the presence shaking her head.

" _You won't accomplish anything that way; What's done is done. Now, let's go back home."_

"Alright Toyotama. Still, though, why can't I see you?"

" _That's classified."_

 _ **Iselin and Daichi POV**_

 _School Dorms_

"You can't be serious", Iselin told Daichi.

"I'm a part of this team, I need to be present. Besides, I can do more than just fight; I'll be the moral support."

"That's what Yoichi is for!"

Hildr stepped in to change the subject.

" _The doctor told you to take it easy, didn't he?"_

Daichi shrugged.

" _Didn't he?"_

"Yes", Daichi replied in a low voice.

" _And what would happen if you got injured again? You'll just weigh us down"_

"I know… "

Daichi sighed and glared at his right arm.

"It's just, if only I didn't get hit-"

"Don't worry, happens all the time to everybody. Remember when Johei got zapped by Kaz that one time?"

"He wasn't really injured"

"Or when Loki got hammered into the wall?"

"Persona heal quickly"

" _Or that time Iselin got hit by a Psionga?"_

Daichi shivered.

 _Flashback_

"Daaaaichiiii!"

*FWOOSH*

"Why is she only targeting me?!"

Suddenly, Iselin got behind Daichi and wrapped him in a hug around the waist.

"Urk!"

Mikan finished off the last shadow with a well placed arrow.

"Um, shouldn't she be back to normal now?", Johei asked.

Iselin continued to spin around with Daichi in a bear hug.

"I've got a sedative; want me to heal her?"

"Daichi is finally mine forever!"

Iselin then fell on the ground and began snuggling Daichi while still keeping an iron grip on him.

"HELP ME!"

"On second thought, this is kind of cute."

 _Flashback End_

"WhatWhatwasIhitwithIdon'trememberbeingconfuseddoyouIdon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout"

Iselin blushed as red as a tomato until Hildr placed her hand on her shoulder.

" _For now, just rest. You'll have other chances to get some training in."_

Daichi shook his head.

"No way! Even if I'm not gonna fight, I'll be there!"

" _That's right!"_ , Hugin said.

" _Nothing will stop Master Daichi!"_ , Munin crowed.

"Then you leave us no choice", Iselin said with a sadistic smile.

"Thank y- wait what?"

"Hugin! Munin! The doctor said that the Mirror Dimension atmosphere will kill him in his current state!"

The crows flew into the room.

" _Master Daichi! You must not step in there!"_

" _Forgive us, but we will not let you pass!"_

"Wh- hey!"

The crows pinned Daichi down on the bed as he struggled to sit up.

"Dammit! I'll get you for this!"

"Not likely!", Iselin said as she left his room.

 _June 23, 2021; Sunday_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim: Floor 60_

 _(Afternoon)_

"Real shame Daichi couldn't come", Johei said as he came to the top of the staircase.

" _The doctors wanted another look at the wound, something about making sure it was clean"_ , Hildr said.

Loki nodded.

"Well, at least he'll stay out of trouble", Kaz said.

"That doesn't sound like him though; He probably would have skipped the exam just to be here"

Iselin started to sweat.

"Yeah… but I talked him into it"

" _Hold up, I'll be right back"_ , Loki told Johei.

Loki started to float next to Iselin and Hildr.

"Um, yes?"

" _Nice lie; I'll keep it a secret if you tell me what really happened."_

"Loki! We're here!"

" _Save it for later"_

Iselin let out a deep breath of anxiety before joining the front of the group.

"This is definitely going to be tougher than the last fights we've been in; are you guys ready?", Kazuhiko asked everyone.

"Yeah, count me in", Johei said as he gave him a thumbs-up.

" _Same here, Oh captain my captain."_

"That's why we're here"

" _There's not gonna be a fight."_

"Ah!"

Yoichi jumped when a girl had appeared right next to him.

"Ikebukoro-san?"

The girl shook her head.

" _Actually, I'm her reflection. The one you know won't fight, she's not in any danger."_

Everyone seemed skeptical.

" _What, you don't believe me? Go ahead and open the doors!"_

Kazuhiko stepped towards the door and slowly opened it to peek inside. Yuriko was just sitting on a set of stairs, looking at the ground. Nothing seemed amiss.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Kaz opened the door and stepped inside. Yuriko noticed him and waved.

"Hey! I haven't thanked you guys from that other time!"

Mikan looked around and set her bow down.

"Weird, there's nothing here. Not even a normal shadow."

"Yeah, it's been empty for as long as I remember", Yuriko told them.

"Speaking of which, how long have I been in here?"

" _Almost three weeks; you're deadline was a lot longer than usual"_ , Tyr answered her.

Yuriko's eyes popped out of her skull.

"Wow, I haven't seen you before. Uh, what is he?"

" _No time to explain; let's just focus on getting you out of here, then we'll talk"_ , Mimir said as he did a quick scan.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible"

Everyone jumped at the sound and turned around to face two familiar hooded figures.

"I believe there is no reason for introduction, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?", Kokatsu said as he snapped his fingers.

Almost immediately, Kokatsu's eyes (from underneath his hood) started to glow a dark red and the entire team and their Persona felt a heavy force fall on their shoulders. As they fell to the ground, Kokatsu continued speaking.

"You're probably wondering why this girl hasn't been taken over by a shadow yet. Well, the simplest answer I can give you is that she doesn't want to die."

Kazuhiko propped himself with his sword and tried to stand upright.

"What… are you talking about?"

Kokatsu sighed.

"Looks like we'll be giving the longer explanation then."

He cleared his throat and continued.

"Persona and Shadows are two sides of the same coin. One represents hope, and the other, despair. A more despair ridden person attracts the attention of Shadows, but one who clings onto hope has the potential to wield a Persona. Simply speaking, Ms. Yuriko here has not succumbed to despair yet. That is why she is not dead."

"Then what about the request?", Mikan asked.

"Yeah! There's always been an attempted suicide because of your website!", Johei protested.

He tried to prop himself up with his spear, but slipped and fell onto the ground.

"Indeed, there are some slight misconceptions", Kokatsu admitted

"However, the request site just brings their reflection into focus; kind of like placing a target for shadows to concentrate on. There was a case that one had not succumbed to despair, so we had to, ah, intervene. I'm sure you all are aware of that, yes?"

"So then", Iselin said as she pushed herself off the ground,

"Rika could still be alive right now if you hadn't put a bullet in her reflection's skull!"

"That's right"

Junn appeared out of the shadows and began sharpening his knife.

"We've said enough for you to understand the situation, so there's no need to keep you all alive."

Junn brandished his knife and walked towards the group.

"Since I'm a gentleman, I'll let you all pick which one of you dies first. Just don't take too long or else I'll decide myself."

Tyr struggled to stand and defend the group, but he could barely keep himself upright.

" _Don't… worry. I… will p-protect you all!"_

Junn sighed and kicked Kaz in the stomach. Kaz could hear a faint crunch and cried out in pain; Tyr, due to being linked to Kaz, let out a stifled grunt.

"Nobody going to stand up? Alright, I'll just go ahead and cut off the head of the snake."

He grabbed Kaz by the hair and pulled him up until he was kneeling. Next, he stepped behind the Wildcard and placed his knife at the jugular. Kaz could feel the touch of the cold steel blade against his neck. Any moment now, that blade would paint the tiled ground crimson with his blood. He tried to struggle, but any action was futile against Kokatsu's ability.

"I'm… I'm sorry guys… You made me leader… and I failed you all."

He closed his eyes and waited for Death to harvest his soul.

"... "

For some reason, nothing happened. Kaz opened his eyes and saw a person with red hair in the distance. Could it be Daichi? Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Let's do this, you two!"

" _ **Eiga**_ _!"_

" _ **Kouga**_ _!"_

A black and white crow appeared and attacked Kokatsu who swiftly dodged the attack. However, the diversion was good enough. Kaz felt the weight fall off his shoulders and took hold of Junn's arm. In one swift movement, he threw Junn onto the ground and disarmed him, tossing the knife to Iselin.

"Catch!", he told her, and she grabbed the knife out of midair.

Everyone had gotten back up from the ground and recovered from their shock, ready to fight. Johei already readied himself to go on the offensive.

"Hit him while he's down!"

" _ **Mirage Slash**_ _!"_

Loki disappeared in a cloud of smoke only to appear above Junn. The Harbinger quickly rolled out of the way, but Loki was able to catch a part of his arm before he escaped.

" _Tch, missed him."_

The group came back together in order to revise a strategy.

" _Really? Hit him while he's down? You're not gonna get a girlfriend with that sense of chivalry"_ , Loki said to his user.

"Can it! We've got more problems to deal with. Well? Any ideas?"

Kaz scanned around the room for Daichi until his eyes fell on a mass of red.

"Don't stay cooped together! He'll get you all!", Daichi yelled to them.

Kokatsu, who had been recovering from the dodge he made started to open his eyes, which were to glow ominously.

"Scatter!", Kaz quickly ordered.

The group dispersed, but Mikan was caught in the immobilizing gaze mid-draw. She suddenly fell down on her knees and let the arrow fly. Junn had looked seriously pissed ever since Kaz had disarmed him.

"Oh I'll turn you into ground beef!"

He put on a pair of armored gloves and sent a powerful uppercut to Mikan's chin.

*POW*

 **Dangstaboy: Batman!**

Mikan flew into the air for a good second before landing on the ground.

"If he sees you with that ability, you won't be able to move!", Daichi said from the sidelines.

"I've had about enough of your crap, bird brain", Junn said as he suddenly appeared in front of Daichi.

Daichi, having broken his primary arm, couldn't hold his rapier properly and, as a result, couldn't defend himself. With a swift punch, Junn sent him crashing into the wall, but his assault didn't stop there. He mercilessly beat Daichi again and again until there was a clear imprint of his body on the wall.

*THUD*

Daichi finally fell onto the ground, presumably unconscious, or worse. The crows had also fallen victim and couldn't pick themselves up.

" _Master Daichi! Please get up!"_

" _Don't die on us now! Don't go to the light!"_

" _You two are still here; he's probably alive!"_ , Hildr yelled at them.

Junn then made his way to Iselin.

"I'll have my knife back now", he told her.

Iselin dashed towards him with both his and her knife at the ready. Junn readied into a boxer stance. As he pulled back for a haymaker, Iselin suddenly slid down and went through his legs, slashing at them.

"Ugh!"

Then, she propped one of her hands on the ground and executed a sweeping kick, sending the soldier onto the ground.

"Hildr!"

" _ **Agidyne**_ _!"_

" _ **Red Wall**_ _!"_

Before the fire came into contact with Junn, Kokatsu quickly used a skill to defend his partner. However, the damage that was done was still a considerable amount.

"That's for beating up Daichi", she told him as she moved on to Kokatsu.

She shattered her chains and Hildr aimed her hands at her user.

" _ **Sukukaja**_ _!"_

"HaaaaaAAAAAA!"

She leaped into the air while the two knives were poised to strike.

"You… idiot… ", Daichi said from the pile of rubble he was in.

Kokatsu merely opened his eyes and Iselin felt herself be pulled down to the ground.

"You BITCH!"

Junn had recovered and stood up over her. His right leg had been bleeding for quite some time and it seemed like it was unlikely to stop. Later, Iselin would realise that it was crippled.

*THUMP*

"HACK!"

Junn kicked her in the ribs with his army boots, cracking some of her ribcage. He then picked up his knife from the ground and held it above her.

"Die!"

"Now!"

Kaz had been watching the fight unfold, waiting for the right moment when the two were close together. He threw one of Johei's flash bombs at them, which blew up immediately.

" _ **Garu**_ _!"_ , Loki yelled as he summoned a gust of wind in his hand.

Johei stood in Loki's hand and was flung towards Iselin. In a split second, he caught hold of Iselin while dropping an open bottle of water.

"Go, Mika-senpai!", he said to one corner.

Mikan had recovered from her previous injury and drew her bow, aiming it at the ground where the two villains stood.

Skadi conjured a Bufula spell and shaped it into an arrow on Mikan's bow as she let go of the string.

*SHING*

By the time that the effect of the flash bomb had worn off, the water had frozen their feet solid to the ground. Kazuhiko had taken the chance to change to one of his newer Persona that he had fused just for this purpose.

"Alright, everybody. Take cover!"

A Persona in a knight's armor and a king's crown had suddenly appeared.

" _ **Mind Charge**_ ", it cried out as it started to shine.

Junn struggled against his bonds of ice.

"You think this can hold me?! Think again!"

He took a red gem out of his pocket and threw it on the ice. The ice instantly melted and he and Kokatsu wrenched their feet free with a few minor burns.

"Crap! He's free!", Johei cried out.

"Can you freeze them again?", Iselin tiredly asked.

Mikan shook her head.

"No; I don't have enough energy!"

The two Harbingers made a dash for Kaz, ready to strike him down. Kazuhiko, who was immobilized for the _**Mind Charge**_ stood there with anxiety. The enemies were 20 meters away from him.

15 meters…

10 meters…

5…

*SHING*

Suddenly, a blue light encased both of them and stopped them in their tracks.

"What?! What the shit is happening now?!", Junn said.

"I … I can't move!", Kokatsu exclaimed while Junn was cussing away.

Finally, the _**Mind Charge**_ was finished.

"Alright, Arthur! Now! _**Megidola**_!"

" _FOR CAMELOOOT!"_

At point-blank range, there was no missing this shot. A bright light flashed from the tip of Arthur's sword and was unleashed within a 50 meter diameter. Everyone looked away for fear of blinding themselves; only when the light had faded, did they dare to look up.

"*pant* *pant*"

Kaz was on the ground, laying on his back; his sword next to him. Kokatsu and Junn were in a heap on the floor, clearly spent.

"Hey, guys! Could you give me a hand?"

The gang quickly helped him sit up and used a bunch of their medical supplies. Once Kaz was able to stand by himself, he told them what happened.

"For some reason, they just froze in place. You guys have anything to do with that?"

Mikan shook her head.

"I was too tired to use _**Bufu**_ again."

"I… know… ", a voice called out.

Daichi was still laying on the ground where Junn had finished beating him. Quickly, everyone helped him up. This time, Mikan healed him due to there being more severe damage that some antibiotic and gauze would fix.

"So that was you, then?", Johei asked.

"How come you didn't tell us sooner? What other Jesus powers have you got inside you, huh?!"

Daichi shook his head.

"It wasn't me."

He tilted his head towards another figure in the room that nobody had noticed before.

"Come on here; introduce yourself."

The man was wearing a dark green T-shirt and baggy cargo pants. At his waist, he had an army jacket tied around his figure. His red hair had a similar color to Daichi's only it was brighter, but the most eye-catching of his features was the large scar on his face.

"'Sup, fellas! The name's Sho; Sho Minazuki!"

 _ **Aaaaaaaaand we are back! Please! Please don't kill me! I know I was late! Very late! Just please don't hurt me! If you guys couldn't take the hint, I am very sorry for the holdup; School is just around the corner for me so I had a lot of stuff to do. That and I was lugged around for two weeks in July for a trip; Let's just say I didn't have internet there. Anyways, I decided I needed to fill up the cameo for Persona 4 Arena; I have been waiting so long for a chance to introduce Sho. Fun Fact: Aside from Yosuke, Sho and Minazuki are my favorite characters to use in P4AU. Now, introducing new members of the community: hyunkel1234! Staffthebest! DarkFenrir215! Nadira Paramita! And Averroes93!**_

 _ **Give these people a big round of applause! I'm very sorry to say that I won't be able to follow up as often as I promised now that school is almost here for me, so don't get your hopes up. Yes, I am a sorry excuse for a fanfiction writer, I know. As for your reviews, why don't we add a little something, hm? Just post how your day was and I'll be fine with it. Either way, let's get to the mini story. By the way, the new character's name and design is acredited to Adtauthor and RosyMiranto18. You guys are a really big help!  
**_

 _Kazumi Sukima; Tales of "Normal" High School Girl_

"*yawn* Good morning, Tyr", Kaz said.

" _Um, Kazuhiko-"_ , Tyr started.

"Alright! Another morning! Let's get going!"

" _Kazuhiko, this is very importa-"_

"Oh, I have enough time for a shower! Sweet!"

" _You're a girl!"_

Kazuhiko stopped and turned to the mirror. A girl with light green hair, about shoulder length, stared back at him. She looked like the person who would laugh a lot, but didn't because of something that happened before. But that was beside the point.

"Wh… WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

 _Later…_

"Are you sure none of the teachers noticed?", Johei asked.

Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, they called me Kazumi or something like that."

"And we're not affected. Weird", Daichi pondered.

Kaz sighed and hid his face in his hands.

"I really hate this; I can already tell Johei is going to grill me about this later."

"You bet your ass I am"

"Don't feel bad", Mikan said, trying to cheer him up

"I mean, you actually look pretty cute."

Kaz suddenly brought his head up, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"W-what?!"

Iselin nodded.

"She's right. I'd do anything to have a bod like yours."

Kaz continued to blush even harder and went back to covering his face.

"Guys, please stop."

"Huh, now that you mention it, you do look pretty cute", Johei admitted.

His eyes wandered around "Kazumi" until he could hear him clear his throat.

"Hey man, not cool. Eyes up here!"

Johei sighed.

"Sorry, but looks are really deceiving, y' know? Hell, I don't know how to stop thinking."

" _It's a trap!"_ , Loki suddenly said to him.

"Aaand now I've got the image in my head. Is there a way I can erase it from my memory?"

 _Meanwhile…_

 _ **Nanako POV**_

"Why do I suddenly feel like I like her?!"

" _Perhaps this was your true nature?"_

"Shut up, Toyotama!"

 _ **Sorry for the mistake earlier, guys.**_


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

My Ojoh-chan; Death's Nephew

 _June 23, 2021; Sunday_

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim: Floor 60_

 _(Afternoon)_

"'Sup, fellas! The name's Sho, Sho Minazuki!", the red-haired man said to everybody with a wide smile on his face.

Everyone just stared at Sho with a look of confusion on their faces. Finally, Johei broke the silence.

"Uh, so, what are you doing here?"

"Sho" just sighed and shook his head.

"Why do I always get that reaction?"

" _Probably because of your excellent timing, kid"_ , a deep voice suddenly spoke to Sho.

Mikan jumped when she realised that the voice was right behind her.

" _Oh, sorry about that. I'm Tsukuyomi, this kid's Persona."_

Tsukuyomi was dressed in a large black overcoat with some streaks of red at the collar and opening; Black flames were protruding into two horn-like shapes on his head; At his side was a sword made of the same black flames and his face was covered by a golden mask. Sho looked annoyed.

"Hey, will ya stop calling me a kid? I'm older than twenty, ya know."

" _Yes, but you still act like a child; always rushing in without thinking and itching for a fight, it's a miracle I'm able to protect you sometimes"_

Sho brushed him off and faced the SPT.

"Oh yeah, speaking of fighting, you guys wanna go at it right now?"

Tsukuyomi face-palmed himself as he shook his head.

" _And there he goes again."_

Sho drew his swords and pointed them at Kaz. Kaz, quickly took a step back.

"W-wait, hold on just a seco-"

"Here I come!"

Sho crossed his arms and dashed towards Kaz with a speed much faster than the average human. Instinctively, Kaz drew his sword and blocked the oncoming attack. Unfortunately, the impact caused him to lose his grip on it; Sho was above him with his swords ready to strike until

*SMACK*

Tsukuyomi gave Sho a hard slap on the back of the head, sending him flying to the side.

" _Honestly, kids these days"_ , he murmured to himself.

After Sho recovered from the swift punishment of his Persona, he sheathed his swords and got down to business.

"I just happen to be passing through, got a couple of things I gotta take care of; things I have no intention of sharing."

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Seems fair enough". Sho continues.

"As for helping you guys out, this guy promised me a good match. I expect to be paid in full", he said as he jerked his thumb at Daichi.

Johei shot a glare at his red-headed friend.

"Dude!", he whispered

"Why the hell did you do that?!"

Daichi glared right back at him.

"Well what was I supposed to do? I couldn't fight because of my arm and he was willing to help!"

" _Do not underestimate Master Daichi's kindness!"_ , Hugin retorted.

" _Feel free to be honored by his aid!"_ , Munin continued.

" _Will you two just shut up already?"_ , an annoyed Loki asked.

Sho then took out a knife and started to clean his fingernails with it.

"So, come on already! I'm tired of waiting!"

Tsukuyomi sighed again and turned to the SPT.

" _I'm sorry to force this on you all, but Sho never backs down from a fight. If you could hold your ground against him for a little while-"_

" _Say no more, we will be glad to partake in this crossing of swords"_ , Tyr quickly answered.

Everyone then turned to Kaz's Persona with a surprised look while Tyr just stared back with confusion.

" _What? This'll be a good chance to train!"_

"Right after we fought for our lives earlier?! Kaz, you gotta stop being so headstrong!", Johei said to his friend.

"Hey, that's him talking, not me!"

"An answers an answer! Here I go!", Sho shouted once again.

He drew his swords and charged.

"Guess we got no choice. Tyr!", Kazuhiko said as he broke his chains.

" _ **Masukukaja**_ _!"_

Kaz side stepped quickly and dodged Sho's attack as he charged up his sword for an attack.

" _ **Raikouzan**_ _!_ "

With a strike as fast as a bolt of lightning, he swung his sword at Sho's exposed back only to blocked by Tsukuyomi.

" _Sorry about this"_ , he replied as he drew his sword.

" _ **Vorpal Blade**_ _!"_

He used the flat of his sword, but it didn't do much less in terms of damage. Kazuhiko was sent flying into the air where Sho quickly followed up.

"Here we go!"

Sho's scar started to glow blue, but instead of using his power on Kaz, he directed the pressure on his swords. In a downward strike, he sent Kaz all the way to the ground, causing a slight crater to form in the floor. As Sho landed on the ground, he felt an arrow graze past his face.

"Hgh!"

He quickly dodged another arrow that came from Mikan's bow before running towards her.

"Not so fast, pal!"

Johei, after bulking himself up with multiple _**Sukukajas**_ from Yoichi, blinked into existence right in front of Sho and rammed the butt of his spear into his stomach. However, the effect was not so expected.

"Gotta try harder than that to hurt me, lightweight!"

*BONK*

Sho gave Johei a powerful head-butt and rammed him with his shoulder before making his way to Mikan, who continued to fire more arrows and casting more _**Bufulas**_ at him. Finally, he reached her.

"Shit!", she exclaimed as she reached back in her quiver for another arrow, only to find that she was fresh out.

" _I don't think… *huff* *wheeze* I can do anymore"_ , Skadi said as she held herself up on the ground with her bow.

Sho chuckled evilly.

"So, whatcha gonna do now?"

*BAP*

He turned around to see Yoichi holding a thin stick in his hands.

"Uh, I'm sorry?"

Sho struck him at the neck with his hand and sent him on the ground like a sack of potatoes. Everyone looked tired and hurt, either from the previous battle, Sho's onslaught, or a mixture of both; they were all in no shape to fight.

"Geez, you guys were really a bunch of pushovers. I don't know why I bothered with this", he said as he sheathed his swords once again.

"You're all a bunch of weaklings! You guys say you're all about saving people, but you can't even beat me for once in your lives!"

Then he turned to Yuriko who was just watching everything unfold.

"And you, you're the worst of the bunch"

Yuriko jumped back a bit, letting a little "Eep!"

"Yeah, that's right. I know all about you, Yuriko Ikebukoro. You caused your friend's death, you made a disgrace out of another, hell, you're even pulling the entire group down just by being here. And to top it all off, you still think you deserve to live after all that. If you ask me, you're better off dead."

Yuriko looked defeated, based off the expression in her eyes. Sho turned to everyone.

"That goes the same for all of you as well. You're all ungrateful for those lives that you hold. Why do you all deserve to live when so much better people died?"

He then turned to the doorway and proceeded to exit.

"Welp, I'm outta here. My advice? Quit while you're ahead; _**you guys can't save anyone for real**_ "

"You're wrong", Kaz said.

Sho turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, we might not be the best candidates for a second chance, but we're the ones who are willing to face our mistakes"

Johei stood up from the ground.

"Don't let him fool you; we want to live out our lives because of those that have died"

"I can't lose now, not when onii-chan gave his life for me", mikan said as she propped herself up with her bow.

"Rika probably won't forgive me if I up and died now. Besides, I've got more things I want to do first."

Iselin brandished her knife at Sho. Then, a familiar face walked next to Yuriko.

" _Whatever you're feeling right now, I get it"_ , her reflection said to her.

" _I may not seem like I care at all, but feeling guilty is all that I am all the time. It's the act of holding onto that guilt is what you need to stop doing. You can put on a smile anytime, but making that change in you is what really matters."_

After what seemed like an eternity, Yuriko nodded her head in understanding.

"I know now"

Kaz poised his sword at Sho.

"Tyr, give me a boost"

" _Right away._ _ **Tarukaja**_ "

" _And a little extra from me"_

Suddenly, a green light enveloped Kaz, making him feel more soothed. He turned around to look at Mikan or Yoichi. Both shook their heads. Sho chuckled.

"Well now things just got interesting"

Sho tilted his head a bit and Tsukuyomi immediately advanced onto Kazuhiko.

"Tyr! Cover me!", Kaz yelled.

Just as Tsukuyomi's strike was about to land, Tyr caught the blade in his robotic hand and clenched his other.

" _ **Lightning Strike**_ _!"_

Sending a shocking uppercut right into the other Persona's gut, Tyr forced back Tsukuyomi and thus made an opening for Kazuhiko. Readying his sword, Kaz prepared to strike until.

"Mikan! Give me some ice!"

" _At once!_ _ **Bufula**_ _!"_

The ground froze in a path towards Sho, allowing Kaz to slide underneath him, narrowly missing his dual katanas and sweeping his feet.

"Loki, let's get in on this!"

" _Aw hell yeah!_ _ **Jinpugeki**_ _!"_

Out of nowhere, Johei and Loki attacked Sho in midair; Loki sending a wind charged punch and Johei kicking him by using his spear as a vaulting pole. As a result, Sho was sent flying.

"Ugh! Hey, a little help here?"

" _*sigh* can it, kid"_

Tsukuyomi caught his user in the air by his scarlet red hair and set him down.

"OW! Geez! Watch the hair, man!"

" _Stop making reckless moves in battle. That, and clench your legs together."_

"What?"

"HA!"

*POW*

Iselin propelled herself upward by her legs and sent a crushing flying uppercut to Sho's… nads.

"Shoryuken, bitch!"

As Sho looked up, he could see Kaz's figure slowly rising to him.

"It's over, Minazuki-san!", he shouted.

" _I'm putting my all into this last attack, Kazuhiko!"_

" _ **Raikouzan**_ _!"_

*CLANK*

"Tch"

Minazuki sighed as he brushed off the attack with one of his swords.

"You call that a finishing strike? I'll teach you a real attack! Tsukuyomi!"

Tsukuyomi shook his head impatiently.

" _Always something to prove, huh?"_

He flew up to Sho and drew his sword.

" _Forgive me._ _ **Brave Blade**_ _!"_

Suddenly, Yuriko appeared in between the two of them and shoved Kaz back.

"I won't let… I won't let you hurt my senpai!"

" _ **Mirror Edge**_ _!"_

When Sho's attack collided with Yuriko, the attack had been straight reflected back at him, hitting the redhead square in the chest.

"HAGH!"

"Yuriko-san!"

Yuriko, who had just shielded Kaz, passed out momentarily and was falling down, headfirst. Quickly, Kaz caught her and checked to see if she was okay. Sho, however, fell down on the ground, sprawled out on his back.

" _Another happy landing"_ , Tsukuyomi said without any enthusiasm whatsoever.

"Yuriko-san? Are you okay?", Kaz asked her as he slightly shook her.

"Hm… huh?"

Her eyes opened to see Kaz staring back at her.

"Uh, yeah. Just tired."

" _That's to be expected. Whatever you did must have taken a lot of effort"_ , Tyr told her.

Then, she realized that Kaz was holding her bridal style.

"Um, senpai, could you put me down?"

"Huh? Oh sure."

Yuriko struggled to stand on her own two feet, but seemed fine. She did, however, looked red-faced.

"Wow, you're already red! Do you have a fever?", Kaz asked as he put his hand to her head.

"Eep!", Yuriko shouted.

She jumped back when Kazuhiko touched her. Loki sighed at the sight.

" _Geez, why can't you be like that?"_ , Loki asked Johei.

"Like what?"

" _Never mind."_

"Welp, looks like my job here is done", Sho said as he got up, as if he was unscathed.

*SMACK*

"Ow! What was that for?!", Sho asked his Persona.

" _Aren't you forgetting something?"_ , Tsukuyomi asked him.

Sho looked at everyone and sighed.

"Alright, well I guess I owe you guys an apology… and a little explanation."

" _Indeed"_ , Hildr agreed.

" _I would like to know why you helped us and attacked us."_

Sho took his swords out and stabbed them into the ground. Then he leaned on them as if they were the back of a chair.

"Alright, well where to start? I'm currently on the run from an organization, but a special division decided to keep me around as a rogue support member. I just came here to investigate, then I found a little something on the ground."

He flashed them a small card with a QR code on it.

"That's-!", Daichi started.

"Yeah, the key to get in here", Sho cut him off.

"I followed you guys to make sure everything went okay with the rescue, but she didn't awaken her Persona in the fight yet."

He pointed at Yuriko.

"That threw a wrench in my plans, so I had to fight you guys a little more to cause a trigger in her. So, you're welcome, I guess."

*SMACK*

"Alright alright, I'm sorry!" Sho said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, that's all I owe you guys. Later!"

"Wait, how did you know about our rescue?", Kazuhiko asked him.

Sho froze for a moment, but then continued to make his way to the door; this time with a much faster speed.

"Hey!", Iselin yelled at him.

"Well, are we gonna go after him?"

Daichi shook his head.

"I doubt we'd catch him. Besides, I think that's something best left unspoken."

"Yeah, and we need to get Yuriko out of here too", Mikan added.

 _Somewhere in the Real World_

"Alright, I did what you asked. You happy?", Sho asked.

"Happy? Is that the emotion where one is enveloped in a positive cloud of feelings so much that they could die?", the woman in blue asked.

" _I still don't know why you asked us, though"_ , Tsukuyomi asked her.

" _Why us when there are many more capable?"_

"Hey! Are you underestimating me?!"

The woman shook her head.

"Oh goodness no, although I could defeat you with just the flick of my wrist."

"Why you!"

*CLONK*

The woman hit Sho in the head with the spine of a heavy book, which sent him stepping a few steps back.

"I chose you because you had nothing else better to do. Besides, aren't you glad you found a new hole of shadows to exterminate?"

Sho rubbed his head and grunted.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Now then, there is another reason why I called you here. That boy, the one with the black hair is the key to something very important."

"Huh? What, the new Wildcard? 'Course he's important, I'm not stupid or something."

" _Your actions speak otherwise."_

Sho glared at Tsukuyomi before turning back.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the arcana that other young man had correct? The power of the World Arcana?"

Sho nodded.

"Yeah, Narukami-senpai was pretty tough. What about it?"

"Well, what if I told you there was another level beyond that?"

Sho's eyes widened.

"Wait, you're not telling me that kid is gonna be even stronger than Yu, are you?"

The woman chuckled.

"Not just stronger than him, but stronger than even my former guest. The potential to be stronger, anyways."

Sho took a newfound interest in the boy now. The women hardly ever talked about her "guest", but from the stories, he was incredibly powerful.

"Well, if that's all you came here to tell me, then I'm outta here. I got another assignment on the way."

The women lightly chuckled.

"And that is specifically why I brought you here."

Sho raised an eyebrow and looked further into the alley. There stood two figures that he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before; One was about the same height as him, the other was much taller.

"Now, for your grand entrance!"

The girl stepped out of the shadows and smiled.

"Thanks Elizabeth-san. As for you", she said as she faced Sho.

"Long time no see, Sho-kun!"

Sho just smiled back and replied.

"Yeah, guess it has been a while, you clanky old robot."

* * *

 _June 24, 2021; Monday_

 _Yuriko's House_

 _(After School)_

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

Mikan stepped back from the door after knocking on it, waiting for a response.

" _Should we really trouble her just the day after we rescued her?"_ , Hildr asked.

"Yeah, why are we even here, Kaz?", Iselin asked their leader.

"Shouldn't we have given her a few days to rest?"

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"We're here because she asked us to. After I dropped her off with Mika-senpai, she told me that she wanted to get informed today. Besides", he said.

Kaz took an envelope out of his pocket.

"There is something we need to discuss"

"Where'd you get that?", Johei asked.

"I don't remember those two Harbingers dropping anything."

"And I don't blame you. I found it on the ground when we were about to leave. Those two were nowhere to be found, though."

" _Wait wait wait"_ , Hugin said.

" _The enemy had just mysteriously disappeared and you didn't seem concerned"_

Kaz smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I just thought that since we beat them, they wouldn't want to mess with us-"

" _And you weren't concerned for Master Daichi's safety?!"_ , Munin shouted.

" _What would have happened if we were to lose our strongest fighter?!"_

"Please ignore them", Daichi said as the door opened.

"Oh hey guys! Right on time!"

Yuriko looked as if she had slept for three whole days straight; her complexion had definitely improved and she seemed to be quite chipper. Everyone looked surprised.

"Um, hey Yuriko-san", Kazuhiko started

"You look well-"

"You wouldn't believe the half of it!", she interrupted Kaz.

"I can't even believe it myself! I was just laying in bed then ZING! I was just already rested! And that was all in just an hour!"

Everyone looked at each other.

" _Persona?"_ , Tyr asked.

"Persona", Kazuhiko confirmed.

"Um, Yuriko so we came her to help you get your grou-"

"Oh, you guys have those things too, huh?"

She pointed to the Persona, who looked surprised.

" _Wait, you can see us?"_ , Mimir asked.

Yuriko nodded and Mimir started to space out.

" _Fascinating; she already developed the ability to see us in such a short time. The only thing I'm not understanding is how she's not surprised."_

"Oh yeah, I should probably introduce my friend."

Yuriko then turned around and went into the house.

"Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

She came back with a moderately sized Persona. The Persona was a lean women dressed in two different clothes; on the right side side, a white bridal gown, on the left, tattered rags that were gray. Atop her head was a crown made of branches and flowers, although the left side was wilted.

" _Ah, I believe you are all the ones who saved my dear Ojoh-chan. You have my sincerest gratitude."_

Then, the Persona deeply bowed at them with the gracefulness of a noblewoman. Kaz scratched the back of his head.

" _Oh no, it was no trouble at all. It is our duty to save those in that world"_ , Tyr replied.

" _Oh but there must be some way we can repay you"_ , the woman said seductively.

" _Well, you can start with a few plans I had in mind! Please address your attention to the screen that is my fa-!"_

*WHACK*

" _AH! Okay, maybe I should talk about this later, somewhere secluded, away from the scary ice queen."_

Loki then uploaded a winking Tom Hiddleston GIF on his monitor before being hit by Hildr with the blunt end of her axe. Tyr, however, remained oblivious as to what was going on.

" _Oh not at all, madame. It really was our pleasure to help!"_

Kazuhiko turned to Yuriko.

"Well, I guess you're already situated with your Persona. We'd love to introduce ourselves, but I think that you have questions for us."

Yuriko quickly nodded several times.

"Well then, let's get going to HQ. Hope you like coffee"

 _Nuzoko Shopping Mall; Cafe_

"Another friend?", the waiter asked.

Yoichi nodded.

"Yes sir, Mr. Amada. Can we get a regular round of drinks plus a new order for the newcomer?"

The waiter nodded his head.

"Sure, although you can't stop calling me Mr. Amada; I'm not that old."

After taking their orders, the waiter left them to their conversation. They talked over the details and their past excursions until their drinks arrived.

"Well then Yuriko-san", Johei started

"Anything else you need clarification for?"

Yuriko looked down at the table for a moment, then spoke.

"Yeah, just one thing. What did Soratsu say when you confronted him? That version of him in the other world?"

Kazuhiko sighed knowing that she would ask about this eventually.

"Soratsu was a pretty troubled guy. He still cared for you as one of his best friends, but he's still sore about Amano-san."

Yuriko nodded.

"I had a feeling he was like that. But to see how far he's gone, I thought he would have been worse."

The group stayed in silence for a moment before Yoichi decided to change the subject.

"So, uh, who's your Persona? She seems pretty familiar."

The woman smiled and held her hands together.

" _My name is_ _ **Sieglinde**_ _, daughter to King Volsung, sister to Sigmund. I am honored to make your acquaintance."_

" _You are a princess? That would explain your refined behavior"_ , Skadi pointed out.

" _For a Persona to help her user recover from extreme fatigue in that world in one night, that is quite impressive. You have our greatest respect, unlike some people."_

The two women turned to Loki, who looked back at them.

" _What?"_

Sieglinde then turned to Tyr.

" _Well then, would you mind telling me your name, handsome?"_

Hildr and Skadi sweat-dropped.

" _And that respect is swiftly taken away"_ , Hildr responded.

" _I am Tyr, God of Courage, or at least I am based off of him."_

Sieglinde chuckled and placed her hand on one of her cheeks.

" _I see, a brave warrior, are you? I kind of like that in a man."_

Loki jumped into the conversation.

" _You like bravery? Don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty courageous myself! I once fought and defeated a dragon single-handedly!"_

Daichi raised an eyebrow.

"The dragon was pretty small and was already weakened by our other attacks. You just finished it off with a simple _**Bash**_."

" _But I still killed it."_

Sieghilde stepped a few steps away from the trickster.

" _My, that sounds quite… bold indeed."_

" _Yeah, I know, right? And there was also this one time that I protected everyone from a head-on attack!"_

"You just happened to get in the way of my arrow and the shadow's _**Bufu**_ spell", Mikan commented.

" _I still protected you and Elsa."_

" _Don't call me that"_ , Skadi said as she brandished her bow for another clobbering.

Sieglinde continued to scoot away. Johei sighed and tapped Loki on the elbow.

"Dude, just please stop talking."

" _Because I might get the other girls interested?"_

"Because this is getting too depressing to watch."

"Alright! Here's your orders!"

The waiter brought back a tray of everyone's drinks. He bowed and went back. For some strange reason, Yuriko didn't get a drink.

"Hm? Oh, did he forget yours, Yuriko-san? I could call him for you", Johei offered.

Yuriko shook her head.

"Oh no, he just said that my order would be brought out a little later because of its weight."

"And here we are!"

The waiter brought back a large cake adorned with strawberries.

"One Strawberry Yggdrasil parfait! Enjoy!"

Everybody stared at the mountain-sized dessert that was presented before Yuriko whose eyes were glazed over with wonder.

"It's even more beautiful in person!"

Then she turned to the rest of the team.

"Well, you guys want in on this?"

Everyone just looked at each other until Mikan replied.

"Well, it looks like you'll need help with that anyways, so why not?"

 _30 minutes later…_

"*gulp* ugh, that was a lot", Johei exclaimed as he held himself up by the table.

Mikan looked as if she were on her last legs while Kazuhiko struggled with his next bites. Daichi made the smart decision to stay out of the meal, and was wise to do so. Even Iselin, who could usually eat a ton was down for the count, while Yuriko was still chipper as always until she finished the last bite.

"Whew! That really hit the spot!", she exclaimed as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Mimir looked at her with awe.

" _Incredible! She downed the majority of that dessert yet has not shown any signs of gaining weight!"_

Yoichi was also one of the few that stood by and was shocked at the readings.

"Where did all of those calories go?! I couldn't even dream of losing weight that quickly!"

Then, the waiter came back with the check. One look at it and Johei's eyes turned to the size of pie plates.

"Te… te… ten… "

Mikan stole a glance at the check and did a spit take with her coffee.

"You're… you're kidding me, right?"

"Huh, what's up guys?"

He took a look at the receipt and shrugged.

"Oh well, I guess we could take _**ten thousand five hundred**_ yen from our spoils."

 _Later…_

"So, what is this thing supposed to be?"

Kazuhiko had shown Yuriko the envelope that was supposedly dropped by the previous to Harbingers that they had challenged.

"With luck", Johei started

"The next clue to finding out who these people are."

Yuriko nodded. Then, Kaz peeled open the envelope to show…

"It's another picture", he said.

"Okay, so the first one was a picture of your old school. I'm seeing a recurring theme here."

He showed everyone else the photo. It showed a class picture in front of the school. Johei and Kaz were shown to one side. Yoshimitsu was on the other side, looking as brash as ever; clearly before Johei tried making friends with him. All the classmates were accounted for, including the teacher. Nothing seemed to be out of place in the photo however, there was someone else that seemed out of place.

"Wait, Kaz, who's that lady behind you?", Yoichi asked him.

There was a young woman who was standing behind Kaz and had her hands placed on his shoulders. She looked no older than twenty years and had a smile that didn't look like it would grow old any time soon. Her face was clearly circled on the photo, as to direct attention to it. Johei looked at the woman and furrowed his brow.

"Huh, she seems really familiar. My best bet's a teacher's aid from college or something."

Loki looked at the woman and let out a low whistle.

" _Woo! She looks smoking hot! Say, why don't you hit her up or something?"_

"Because she looked this young when I was five. Seriously, why are women always a constant topic for you?"

" _Because the scary ice queen is into BDSM"_

*WHAM*

" _The artist is all about getting married to Daichi"_

"WHAT?!"

" _Don't deny it Iselin, and the new girl is trying to cling onto my bro's arm."_

" _Hm?"_

Tyr looked at his right side and noticed Sieglinde retreat immediately.

" _So close_ "

Hildr nudged Skadi in the arm to get her attention.

" _Should we do something about this?"_ , she asked.

" _I'm not really sure. I mean, it's not so different from what Iselin tries to do with Daichi."_

"What?"

Daichi turned to his right side to notice Iselin retreat back into a regular position on her seat.

"So close"

"Anyways", Kaz said

"This is as far as we go with the photo and the lady. Let's try some other lead and see if it'll bring us somewhere."

Kaz stood up and left a tip for their waiter.

"So, where you off to now?", Johei asked.

"I got a prior engagement that I need to go to."

 _(Evening)_

"I can't believe I'm still helping you with this thing", Kaz said to Shirou as he tuned a Shamisen.

Shirou donned his usual attire and grabbed an old lantern.

"Hey, if some kid tipped over an urn holding your great grandma's ashes, you'd be doing this too."

" _Is that what some kid did!?"_ , Tyr asked, horrified.

"No, they just trampled some flowers at a grave. Still pretty bad, but not even close to spilling ashes."

Shirou snapped his fingers to get Kaz's attention.

"Hey, hey, no spacing out on me. Just another hour of patrolling and you're done."

They continued on to another one of their vantage points near a grave and set up a small fog machine. A little distance away from it, they put a projector and pointed it at the fog. Kaz was standing out to the side holding the Shamisen in his arms and a Bachi in his right hand.

" _So what's the plan again?"_ , Tyr asked Kazuhiko.

"*sigh* when Shirou-san sees the kids coming, he'll signal me to start playing and set up the projector to film him in his costume."

" _I see. But why the banjo?"_

"Some culture reference or something. Probably to add to the effect."

Off in the distance, Kazuhiko could see Shirou flashing hs lantern in the signal pattern. Sighing, Kaz put the instrument in the correct playing position and prepared to pluck the strings.

 _At the grave…_

"Come on, scaredy cat! Go and do it!"

A young boy was shoved forward to a grave with a pot of flowers on it. He hesitated for a while until the group leader scoffed at him.

"Well, looks like you are just a little coward, huh?"

"I-I'm not! Stop calling me a scaredy cat, Shinya!"

The bespectacled boy was clearly shaking in fear, despite his retorts. Kaz couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Hey, Tyr, maybe you could do something about that?"

Tyr nodded in understanding.

" _Got it."_

Tyr floated over to where the boys were and sounded the chimes.

"WH-What was that?!", one of the cronies shrieked.

"Nothing! It was just the wind chimes!", Shinya retorted.

He nodded his head to spectacles to keep onto the deed.

"Nnn… okay… "

The boy walked over to the vase and was about to tip it over when…

*SHOOM*

"My… my flowers… "

"And there he his", Kaz mumbled to himself.

Shirou was dressed in his old torn kimono and white geisha makeup.

"My flowers… "

He started to stream tears of blood down his face.

"WHO HARMED MY FLOWEEEEEEEEERS?!"

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Shinya and his group ran off towards the gates, screaming all the way. Only the spectacled boy was left behind, astonished with his back to a tree.

"Was it you?... Was it you tha- wait, is that you Toru?"

Kaz stopped playing for a second and looked at Shirou's projected image.

"What's going on?"

The child, who's name was apparently Toru, looked up at Shirou with a less frightened face.

"U… uncle Shirou?"

Shirou sighed, took off his disguise, and walked out of the brush.

"Toru, what are you doing here?"

He turned to Kaz and tilted his head.

"Come on out, kid."

Kaz cleared through the brush and got a better look at Toru. He was about 10 years old, if Kaz had to guess, and had light brown hair in a bowl cut.

"I told you so many times before, Toru. Don't come here at night. Geez, what am I going to tell Aniki?"

Toru looked down at his shoes with guilt and let his head hang.

"I'm… I'm sorry uncle… "

Shirou sighed once again and patted the boy's head. He turned to Kaz and beckoned to the projector equipment.

"I think this'll be it for now. Help me with the stuff and you can call it a night."

Kaz nodded and picked up the projector.

 _A few minutes later…_

Kaz put the Shamisen back in its case and closed the lid. During this time, Shirou had given his niece a cup of tea and was about to send him home. Before he did, however, he turned to Kaz.

"Hey, if anyone asks about him, just deny it, alright?"

Kaz nodded. Shirou gave him a slight smile and went towards the front door with Toru.

" _It's strange"_ , Tyr said

" _I didn't think that he could have a soft side. Perhaps you should look into this more"_

Kaz shook his head.

"Not tonight. I don't want to push anything further than I have to. Still, though, I feel like he trusts me a bit more."

 _ **Death Arcana Rank Up!**_

 _ **Level 3!**_

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaand we are BACK! Whew! I had a tough few first weeks of school; Already having a tough time juggling all of my activities for them all to go splat on the ground. Made this chapter because I couldn't just drop this for you guys. Okay! Here we go! Special shout-out to Psychorex for following this story! Also, the next chapter will have the long awaited interview with Yuriko! Yay! Leave your questions in the reviews and I'll see you next time! P.S. Sho and Labrys is the third best pairing only to Yosuke x Chie and Kanji x Naoto. Nobody can tell me otherwise!**_

* * *

 _Kazumi Sukima; The Day to Day life of a "Regular" High School Girl Pt. 2_

"Okay, I'm in the body of a girl that I have no idea about. Everyone except for my friends know what's going or notice the change. I should be able to get through this without worrying."

He, rather **SHE** , plopped down in her seat with Tyr behind her.

" _I'll have you know that this feels extremely awkward for me"_ , he said.

"Multiply that by a hundred times and you have my predicament."

"Hey, um, Sukima-chan, can I talk to you?", a timid boy asked.

He fidgeted for a second before bowing deeply to her.

"Will you please go out with me?!"

Kaz slightly panics on the inside.

" _Holy crap! What do I do?! I should probably let him down easy… "_

A moment of silence, then…

"Who are you?"

 _*The speech bubble stabs him in the back*_

"Uh, I mean, I'm not really interested!"

 _*That speech bubble stabs him in the neck*_

"Ah! I'm sorry! I meant I was… already seeing somebody?"

 _*The last one nails him in the head*_

 _ **Dangstaboy: Fatality!**_

 _Later…_

"This is getting really annoying, and why am I feeling angsty all of a sudden?!"

"Hey, Kazumi-chan! Can I borrow your notes for last night?", a boy asked.

"Stay away from me", Kaz replied with a lighter tone.

The boy just stepped back and rolled his eyes.

"Geez, somebody's on their period."

"WHAT?!"

*POW*

 _Even later…_

"Hm? Did Iselin just leave something behind?"

Kaz picks up a book that was left on Iselin's desk and notices a piece of paper sticking out.

"What's this? … wait… HUH?!"

 _After that…_

"Oh, Kaz, did you find my book?"

Kaz came into the rooftop with his/her face as red as a tomato. Iselin made a confused face.

"Say, are you coming down with a fever or something?"

"WHY DID I FIND THAT ATTRACTIVE?!"

"*gasp* Holy shit! What was that?!"

" _Hm? Oh, you're awake."_

" _What happened?"_

"I had this weird dream about switching bodies with someone."

" _These dreams seem to be recurring. Should I be worried?"_

"No, no you shouldn't. I'm just the same old Kazumi Sukima I've always been."

" _Wait, what?"_


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Social Links (I need to level up!); Sensei-nee-san

 _June 25, 2021; Tuesday_

 _(Morning)_

 _Kyuto High; School Gates_

Kazuhiko was walking towards the gates when he bumped into Yuriko and Sieglinde.

" _Good morning you two. I see that you are well enough to attend today",_ Tyr pointed out.

Yuriko nodded with a happy smile.

"Yup! It's thanks to Sieglinde's amazing ability!"

Sieglinde smiled and placed her hand on her cheek.

" _It's thanks to my_ _ **Invigorate**_ _skill. Although, it takes a while to recharge."_

"Huh, something that might be useful in the Mirror Dimension", Kaz said to himself.

"We won't be going back for a while, though, so I guess there won't be a lot of training for you. Maybe some working out could do the job?"

Yuriko nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds fine! What say after school?"

Kaz nodded and made his way to the front gate. However, someone abrasively stepped in front of him.

*SHOVE*

"Wh- hey!" Kaz turned around to see the disgruntled face of a tired and pissed off Soratsu. Tyr tensed up while Kaz formed his hand into a fist. Soratsu, however, paid him no attention.

"Beat it; I've got no beef with you."

He then turned to Yuriko and walked towards her. Yuriko looked scared, but did not give any ground. Only when Soratsu's face was mere inches from her own, did he stop. Then, he raised his fist.

" _Kazuhiko! We should act now!"_ , Tyr said.

Kaz nodded and walked towards Soratsu, ready to defend his new teammate until…

"Here, give this to her for me."

Soratsu dropped something into Yuriko's hand and stalked off. As he brushed past Kaz, he made sure not to bump into him again, but refused to make any eye-contact. Kaz, after making sure Soratsu was out of sight, turned back to Yuriko.

"What was that about?"

Yuriko looked at the item in her hand and shook her head.

"I can't believe he still had that", she said to herself.

She put it into her pocket and walked to the school building. Kaz, who was still left in the dark, shrugged and decided to ask about it on another occasion.

 _(Afterschool)_

 _Pump-u-Up Gymnasium_

Johei let out a low whistle.

"Damn, this place is pretty top notch!", he said.

Mikan nodded.

"I hear that it's next to impossible to schedule a workout here. How did you get by?"

Kaz scratched the back of his head.

"Well, let's just say I've got some friends with a ton of benefits"

 _Flashback_

"I don't know how long I've had these things or why I'm giving it to you, but take it before I change my mind", Shirou told him.

 _Flashback end_

"Dude, a friend of yours works here?! That's awesome!", Johei exclaimed.

"Yeah… let's go with that"

Kaz pushed open the door and entered the building with his friends. They all believed that the gymnasium looked impressive on the outside, but their expectations were quickly elevated when they saw the interior.

"Damn! They even have a basketball court in the back!", Yoichi exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

" _I found something even better!"_ , Loki said as he flew back to the group.

" _Wait, where were you?"_ , Skadi asked.

Loki shook his head.

" _No time for that. Johei! We gotta get to the pool area!"_

Johei's eyes went as wide as plates and he picked up his bag.

"I'llseeyouguysinafewminutesbye!"

Faster than the speed of sound, the hormone filled teenager ran to the pool locker rooms. Daichi sighed as he made his way to the pool locker rooms at a much slower pace.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"Wait wait wait, why are you here?", Iselin asked.

" _Surely you could not have forgotten our Master?"_ , Munin asked.

" _If there is a way to become stronger, Master Daichi will take it!"_ , Hugin exclaimed as he spread his wings.

" _He's got a broken arm that's still healing; He'd probably hurt himself more than actually train"_ , Hildr pointed out.

" _It was something on the ticket that Kazuhiko decided to make him come"_ , Tyr explained.

Kaz nodded and pulled out his ticket.

"It says right here that we need a group that exceeds five people. For every person more, we get 15% back, maximum is 60%".

The group decided to get to work on their own; Mikan and Iselin working on the stationary bikes, Daichi giving support to Yoichi who was lifting weights, Johei feeling down in the corner (the pool only allowed one piece swimsuits for women; no bikinis), and Kazuhiko and Yuriko running on the elliptical machines.

"*huff* *puff* *huff*"

Kazuhiko breathed heavily as he completed his fourth simulated mile. He then turned to the treadmill next to him to see Yuriko running along just fine.

"Wow", he thought

"She's really holding up pretty well after all this running"

Then he snuck a peek at her resistivity level.

"Aaaand that explains why", he thought to himself.

After another half hour, the two called for a break and were resting in the break room. Kaz took out two bottles of Gatorade in his bag and handed one to Yuriko, who accepted it with pleasure.

"Thanks, Kaz-senpai."

They both took a swig before starting conversation.

"Man, you guys are really tough if you can just rush into that world at any time and fight shadows."

Kaz shrugged.

"Well, after gaining our Persona, we feel a lot lighter than usual. I think it's that they take most of the strain off our backs."

Yuriko nodded in understanding and the continued to stand in silence.

"Say, what was it that Soratsu-san gave to you?", he asked.

Yuriko pondered upon herself before answering.

"It's something that he planned to give Hikari… when we were all on good terms"

Kazuhiko stared at Yuriko, waiting for a response.

"You all were friends before, if I remember correctly. Soratsu had a crush on Hikari, but thought he needed to be tough to win her over. What was on her mind when he started changing?"

Yuriko had a sad smile on her face.

"Well, I knew for a fact that she did like him back already, but when he changed… "

 _Flashback_

"Yuriko, can I talk to you?", Hikari asked.

The two were on the roof when the conversation had started.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Hikari slightly blushed.

"Well, you already know about my feelings for him… "

"Ah, so you decided to confess to him? About time!"

Hikari's face started to flush a violent crimson. She desperately covered her face as she sputtered words.

"N-no! I mean, yes! Oh, will you stop teasing me already?! This is serious!"

After having a good laugh, Yuriko turned more focused.

"Something's happened to him. He seems more tough than he usually is. I mean, I thought he just got contacts when he wasn't wearing his glasses, but he's been bumping into everything now. Then he changed his clothes and hair, it's just worrying me."

"'Sup, guys!", Soratsu said as he walked towards his two friends.

He was sporting a new bruise on his face and some blood on his shirt as if he just got into a fight. Hikari gasped as she examined his cut. Yuriko looked incredulous.

"Soratsu, what happened to you?!"

Soratsu just shook his head.

"Nothing, I just walked into a corner again."

Yuriko raised her eyebrow.

"Did it put up a good fight?"

Soratsu tensed at the mention of the word. Hikari, however, was more occupied in getting some tissues to clean off the blood on his face.

"Honestly, Soratsu; What happened? You've been late to classes, your grades have been slipping, and you always look like you lost a bout with Segata Sanshiro."

Soratsu looked as if he was deciding whether or not to tell the truth until Hikari let out a sharp gasp. She held onto his hand, then moved them to his fingers; more specifically his pinky finger.

"Soratsu, please tell me I'm just imagining things", she said as she brought his hand closer to her face.

Yuriko took a quick glance at his hands and felt saddened that her suspicions were right.

"... why? Why are you with them?"

Soratsu took back his hand and shoved it into his pocket.

"It doesn't matter right now. The point is, I'm different from before. Hikari, you like me more now, don't you? I'm a lot tougher than before, and I'm not a nerd that embarasses you guys all the ti-"

*SMACK*

Soratsu stopped speaking when Hikari's hand came into contact with his left cheek. Yuriko could already see the red handprint forming, but even that wasn't enough to make her sympathize him. Hikari, however, was on the verge of tears.

"... y… you… "

She couldn't finish her sentence as she dashed towards the staircase, covering her eyes as best as she could. Soratsu looked back at his pink-haired friend.

"Was it something I said?", he asked.

Yuriko felt infuriated and looked around for anything that she could throw at the thug. Then, her eyes settled on her textbook.

*BONK*

"Augh! Hey!", Soratsu said as the heavy school material made contact with his forehead.

Yuriko picked up her book and stormed to the staircase.

"Just how stupid can you get?!"

Soratsu was left all alone on the roof. He rubbed the welt that was now forming on his head and stood there in a daze. Sighing, he pulled out the item he was planning to give to Hikari.

"Guess I'll just have to wait for another time."

 _Flashback End_

Yuriko held out a pair of golden rings in the palm of her hand. Kazuhiko looked at them with much interest.

" _My goodness, these must have cost a fortune."_ , Tyr said.

"You can tell just by looking at them?", Kazuhiko asked.

Tyr shrugged.

" _I was worshiped by Vikings, people who raided others for a living."_

"I guess that makes sense… "

Yuriko nodded.

"They cost a lot, since they're gold and custom made."

She put them away and picked up her water bottle.

"He finally realized what Hikari meant, but he thinks that he can't dig himself out. That's why I'm going to help him."

That made Kaz's eyebrows stick up.

"Wait, you're going to try and get him out of the Yakuza?"

Yuriko nodded.

"Do you have a plan?"

Yuriko looked at the ground and shook her head

"... no, but that doesn't mean I should just abandon him. I know he hurt me, but he's still my friend. Besides, I said some horrible things to him too… "

Kazuhiko continued to stare at his kohai, then settled for shaking his head.

"Well, I just can't leave you alone to do this by yourself; That would be irresponsible of me as your senpai. Count me in too."

Yuriko looked at Kaz with a smile.

"Well then, let's shake on it!"

She stuck her hand out to which Kaz took it and they shook hands.

Suddenly, time stood still.

"I knew it"", Kaz thought.

A tarot card materialized before his eyes as a voice resounded in his head.

 _ **I art Thou, Thou art I**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond**_

 _ **It shall be the strength of the heart to break free from the chains of despair**_

 _ **I present to thee the Lovers Arcana**_

The card revealed itself as the Lovers Arcana before disappearing in an instant.

Yuriko tried tugging her hand out of Kaz's grasp, but then slightly thought against it.

* * *

 _(Evening)_

After working out, Kaz had went to the showers in the locker rooms with the other guys and headed back to his hotel room. He tried to study, but his head just wasn't in the game at that time. Tyr, was probably one of the contributing factors.

" _Don't you find it strange that Yuriko-san didn't remind you about letting go of your hand during one of our, ah, sessions?"_

Kazuhiko sighed as he took his eyes off his book for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Tyr, if you have something you're trying to hint at, just say it."

Tyr chuckled like an old man that has seen almost everything in his long life.

" _What I'm saying is that she might be smitten for you."_

Kaz turned back to his book.

"The answer is correct! Give the Persona his prize! So what?"

Tyr floated right next to Kaz.

" _Come on, Kazuhiko. At least humor me a bit. It's been so long that I have seen such genuine attraction between two people."_

"But what about Johei and Mika-senpai?"

The two stood silent for a moment until-

" _AHAHAHAHA!"_

"AHAHAHAHA! I was totally kidding!"

After recovering, Tyr bounced back to the topic.

" _Seriously, though, what are you gonna do about it?"_

"Nothing for now; It's too soon to start an intimate relationship if that's what you wanted me to do."

They continued for a few minutes of complete silence until Kazuhiko let out a deep breath.

"Ah, who am I kidding? I already know this stuff cold."

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

" _Where are we going now?"_

"Checking to see if anyone is available right now. The arcade's not too packed right now, so I guess I can take my mind of things by playing a few rounds."

* * *

 _Nuzoko Shopping District; Arcade_

"Hey, Sukima-senpai!"

Filipe waved to Kaz as he got off the Space Hazard arcade game. Kazuhiko smiled at his underclassman and pulled out a few yen bills to make change.

"You feel up to a few shootouts? I'm in a good mood today, so everything's on me!", he said.

Kaz nodded his head.

"Sure, but how about we try the rifles this time around?"

After playing a few games of Big Game Hunter, the two started to take a break.

"Man, I couldn't have been more out of practice!", Filipe said in an exasperated tone.

" _Out of practice?",_ Tyr asked.

" _He hit every target dead on!"_

Kazuhiko sat in a chair and pondered on their previous conversation.

"So Filipe, how's your father doing?"

Filipe's expression quickly deteriorated.

"Well, he's doing fine, I guess… "

He set his drink down and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"He has enough time to talk with me, so I guess that's alright."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here."

Filipe smiled.

"Yeah, but it's nothing really important."

The two continued on chatting like nothing happened, until Kaz brought up the subject once again.

"What does your father do?"

"He mostly does odd jobs, but he already gets retirement money from serving the military."

"Is that why you're so good at shooting games?"

Filipe tensed up at the mention.

"It's… just a hobby of mine."

Another moment of silence before Filipe broke the ice.

"Listen, I just don't like talking about my old man that much. Sorry if I seem pretty harsh."

Kazuhiko nodded in understanding and Filipe returned a smile.

"Thanks. I'm glad you understand."

He chugged down his remaining soda and threw the can into a basket with perfect accuracy.

"Alright! Time to get back into the game!"

Kazuhiko endured another hour of getting his ass handed to him before calling it quits and retreating to the hotel.

 _ **Emperor Arcana Rank Up!**_

 _ **Social Link Level 3!**_

* * *

 _June 26, 2021; Wednesday_

 _(Lunchtime)_

 _Kyuto High, Hallways_

"Man, was Ozuma-sensei stricter than usual today or what?", Johei complained as he and Kaz walked out of class.

" _How would you know?"_ , Loki asked

" _You're rarely awake in his classes"_

"He actually got someone else in the head with his chalk."

"It's because of Finals being just around the corner. You sure you've been studying?"

Johei nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a whiz at math now!"

His impulsive friend pumped his fists and gave one of his infectious smiles. Seeing it, Kaz couldn't help but smile himself.

"Well then, maybe we can hang out later?"

"Aw hells yeah! You have no idea how long it's been since we had some time to catch up!"

The two made their way to the lunch stands.

* * *

(After School)

 _Nuzoko Shopping Center; Batting Cages_

*PINK*

Johei sent the last pitch straight at the target with expertise. Kazuhiko did likewise with his last ball and ended the round with a tie.

"Man, you still haven't given any ground, have you?", Johei asked as he opened the batting cage and set his bat down.

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"Nope, I can't let you win without giving you a challenge."

The two chuckled as they checked out their stuff at the counter. Then, they walked outside and talked about random subjects, such as who they really wanted to see again, or reliving moments in their elementary school year.

"Oh, I got the teacher so good that one time!"

"Yeah, so good that you got detention for a week."

They walked in silence until Kaz spoke up.

"Say, there's something that I wanted to talk to you about", he said.

They stopped and sat down at a bench.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Well, it's really strange that I remember all of these things, but I can't remember what happened towards the end of the school year. Some bits and pieces in the middle, I can't remember either."

Johei's face became serious.

"That's pretty strange; I can't seem to remember what happened either. Whenever I try to look back, it's just all hazy and I end up getting a headache."

Kaz pulled out the photograph that he received from Junn and Kokatsu and stared at the woman circled in red pen.

"I mean, this lady is really familiar to me, for some reason. I don't remember the sound of her voice, but I can feel that she was kind and spunky. Her smile was warm and caring, and her red hair always made me think of how unique she was. Yet, I just feel like I'm going crazy whenever I can't remember her."

Johei took the photo and stared at it constantly.

"No… she doesn't ring a bell… wait… hold on… "

He brought the picture closer to his face and he noticed a little trinket hanging from her neck.

"That thing… that mp3 player… wait I remember now!"

Kazuhiko's eyes went wide.

"You remember? Who is she?"

Johei nodded his head.

"Yeah! Don't you remember that one prank I pulled? The one with the frogs in the desks?"

 _Flashback_

"EEEEEK!"

A girl jumped onto her chair and pointed at the reptile crawling out of her desk. Several female students were panicking as well when the same happened to them. Johei, Kazuhiko, and the rest of the boys were laughing.

"Hey, why don't you kiss one?", Johei asked

"Maybe it'll turn to Prince Charming!"

After that remark, the boys laughed even harder, while the girls screamed louder. The teacher shook her head and took a jar to put the frogs in. After returning the frogs to the pond, the teacher came back with her arms crossed.

"Okay, who did it this time? Shiroka-kun? Sukima-san?"

Both boys shook their heads in unison; they were already used to being accused by the teacher. Then again, they were used to lying about pulling pranks, and they were rather successful at covering their tracks as well.

Sighing in defeat, the teacher had no choice but to go back to the lesson. Afterschool, the boys were leaving the classroom until a voice called them.

"Hold on you two. I need to have a talk with you."

They locked eyes and realized that they had been caught. Reluctantly, they turned around to see the college intern smiling at them.

"Well, that was definitely the prank today, don't you boys think?"

They remained silent. The girl continued.

"I'm really impressed that you were able to get into the classroom during recess without the teacher noticing. But you didn't notice me when I saw you to enter with a croaking box."

The boys looked down at their shoes and sighed, as if they were criminals that were on the run for years and had finally gotten tired of running. Johei looked up with teary eyes.

"Are… are you going to punish us?"

The girl with scarlet hair shook her head.

"No, I'm not. I actually thought it was pretty funny!"

This was an unexpected reaction that the boys were used to. They looked up with surprised faces as the girl laughed.

"Ah, well, remember that pranks are meant to be fun, alright boys? In the end, try to make a prank where everyone laughs."

The boys nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you, sensei!"

The girl waved her hand and sighed.

"You don't have to call me sensei, I'm not a teacher yet. Instead, how about you two call me Nee-san!"

 _Flashback End_

"And we called her nee-san ever since then, that is, until she left to graduate and become a teacher."

Kazuhiko shook his head.

"How do you know all of this better than I do?"

Johei shrugged.

"I guess I just have better memory. Anyways, what's the reason why she's circled?"

"That'll remain a mystery, for now, I'm afraid."

Johei looked at the picture with a fond smile.

"She became the reason I continued making pranks. I guess, the thrill of tricking people wasn't why I kept on doing it, but it was really seeing people smile that gave me a purpose. And it was all thanks to her."

Johei smiled and gave Kaz the photo, who put it back into his backpack.

"Welp, there's something to run off of, I guess."

Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, and I guess that I learned something new about you that I never did. It's like I'm meeting you all over again."

Johei chuckled.

"Dude, don't make this gay."

After cracking some more jokes, they seperated for the time being and left for their respective quarters.

 _ **Magician Arcana Level Up!**_

 _ **Social Link Level 2!**_

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Ken was putting away the last of the dishes on the rack and closed up the café. He had closed earlier than usual due to unexpected events; An old friend of his was just moving in and he wanted to greet them.

"I should probably go get Koromaru-san too. He'll definitely want to see her."

He unlocked the door to his apartment and let the old Inu Shiba out. Koromaru jumped up and licked his face to greet him.

"Hey! Down, Koromaru! Yeah, I'm glad to see you too! Let's head out, yeah?"

The two jogged towards the subway station and checked the clock.

"Darn, the trains are late. Guess we'll just have to wait for a little bit, pal."

They waited on a bench for some time, watching passengers pass by. Still no sign of her. Then, out of sheer exhaustion, Ken closed his eyes, just for a rest.

He didn't know when he dozed off, but he realized that quite some time had passed when he arrived. Looking around, the subway seemed pretty empty, save for Koromaru and himself.

"Must have missed her… huh?"

Okay, scratch the last remark, he was the only one in the station; Koromaru was nowhere. This wasn't something that the Inu Shiba usually did.

"Koromaru! Koromaru! Come here boy!"

"Aww, who's a good boy? Who's a good doggy?"

Ken turned to the sound of the voice and noticed a woman with short red hair tied into a ponytail. She was dressed in a beige colored blouse and plaid skirt with white leggings that reached just past her knees. Her eyes were red, just like Koromaru's, and she had an air of innocence around her, as if she were just a loveable five year-old under that mature mannerism.

Skeptical, Ken walked towards her and faked a cough to get her attention.

"Um, are you… "

The girl looked up at him and smiled.

"Wow! Is that you, Ken? You've gotten so much bigger since I last saw you!"

He was immediately tackled in a warm embrace. Ken smiled at his senpai and returned the hug.

* * *

 _June 27, 2021; Thursday_

 _(Lunch time)_

 _Classroom 2-B_

"So you hear? We've got a new teacher!", a student behind Kaz said.

"Really? No way, where did you even hear that?"

Kazuhiko sighed and walked over to Iselin's desk. The SPT members were gathered there to chat for a little while.

"Hey, you changed your cast!", Iselin said, pointing out the arm brace that was on Daichi's forearm.

"Oh, this? Yeah, the doctors said that I healed faster than expected, so I moved onto the arm brace. I can't do very well in the other world, but I can write now."

" _Praise be to the sun! Our master is well again!",_ Hugin rejoiced.

" _Where did you learn that?"_ , Hildr asked the crow brothers.

Johei sighed and rubbed his eyelids.

"Just another quirk they developed. I lent Daichi my copy of _Rising Sun Ninja_ and they haven't stopped raving about it."

"What about the rumors?", Daichi asked

"The ones about getting a new teacher. I heard that she's fairly young."

"We haven't gotten any new teachers on our end", Yoichi said.

"Besides, we'd usually be informed a week or two in advance if we were to have a new teacher."

Everyone nodded and Kaz excused himself from the discussion.

" _So, what are your thoughts on this whole matter?"_

Kaz shrugged.

"I'm not really sure, but I am curious as to where these rumors came from."

They walked towards a vending machine and looked over the drinks remaining.

"Pepshu, Diet Pepshu, Quelorie Magic, ooh, Water of Revival."

Kaz put in his yen coins and made his selection. Upon the drink being dispensed, it somehow popped out and rolled down the hallway.

"Aw crap!"

He chased it down the hallway until it hit the shoes of a teacher.

"Ah! I'm so sorry sensei… "

He woman looked up at him and smiled. She had red hair tied up and a white collared shirt underneath a red jacket. She picked up the can and shook her head.

"It's alright. Besides, don't you remember that your Minako-nee-san is a forgiving person?"

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Few! I had quite the time at my school; Not only are we bombarded with tests and homework (I fully blame my AP teachers) but also the SAT and college applications! Yipes! Anyways, I was pretty tied up and had writer's block on how to do this chapter and span everything to summer break in the story. So Minako is here! WHAT?! Well, I always believed that the P3 story should have both of them in it, but Minato is the protagonist. Also, Soratsu never actually was dating Hikari before, but that time that Yuriko called Soratsu her boyfriend was kind of a running joke between them. Hope that clears everything up. Finally, shout-out to Esper Add and Psychorex for recently joining the family; There is no escape now you two. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Just kidding, glad to have you guys on board. I really apologize if this chapter wasn't up to snuff for you guys. I promise, I will be back to the groove of things in due time. But first, I think it's time we interviewed our latest member of the SPT!**_

* * *

 _ **The After Show with Dangstaboy and Special Guest: Yuriko Ikebukoro**_

Dangstaboy: Sorry guys, I was running late. I lost my way here and e-

Yuriko: About time, slowpoke. What took you so long?

Dangstaboy: Wait, how are you here before me? I'm supposed to invite you here!

Yuriko: Well, I just found the front door and here I am. Are we gonna get this over with or what?

Dangstaboy: *sigh* fine. Let me just get my script. And get out of my chair.

 _After several minutes of prepping…_

D: Okay! So, it's nice to have you here Ms. Ikebukoro!

Y: So, is this some kind of interview show? Love the decor, by the way.

D: …

 _(Tears start streaming down the author's face)_

D: You… you wonderful blessed soul… *sniff*

Y: Yeah, I was just kidding. You think this piece of crap is worth anything?

D: Why thank you. That was a gift from my late grandfather before he died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. How do you feel now?

Y: … Let's just get on with the questions

D: Okay, I guess so. Hey, wait a second! These questions are only from one person! Geez, you know what? I'll probably have to call you again after this.

Y: Wait, what? No! I don't wanna come back here!

D: Too bad. First question! What exactly is the effect of Mirror Edge?

Y: Oh, that? I'm not really sure. I was pretty tuckered out after it, though.

Sieglinde: I believe I can be of assistance here. Mirror Edge is a move that reflects all kinds of attacks. The cost, however, is 90% of the user's HP and SP. Definitely something that shouldn't be used very often.

D: Oh yeah, I always wondered why there wasn't a fail-safe move in Persona. I guess I just came up with that on the spot to BS your fight a bit. Anyways, next question. Is there any relation to you about the Ikebukuro District in Japan? And what is your opinion of it?

Y: Well, I'm not related to the Ikebukuro District; My last name is spelled Ikebuk _ **o**_ ro, not Ikebuk _ **u**_ ro. As for my thoughts on it, it's really cool!

D: Wow, really? Same here! My friends went there before and sent me a bundle of pictures. Wow, we really are quite alike.

Y: My favorite place is the cat cafe!

D: And now you're my least favorite character.

Y: What? What's wrong about cats?!

D: They just hate humanity! They act like we're their servants! A cat next-door really hates me and goes out of its way to shit in my yard!

Y: Well, that's probably because you've got really shitty taste. The cat's probably helping you out.

D: You know what? Screw this. Next question. What's your favorite flower?

Y: My favorite flower is the pink Hyacinth. It symbolizes playfulness, so I guess I match that up. That, and these cute pair of panties that I one time stole has some on it.

 _(Yuriko pulls out a pair of unmentionables and holds it in front of the author)_

D: AH! Uh, why do you have that on you? *wipe* *wipe*

Y: Relax, I didn't wear them. Unless you want me to…

D: Jesus Christ! Of course I don't want you to do that!

Y: What? Are you saying that I look ugly?

D: No!

Y: *gasp* you dirty old man!

S: I think we should step aside from that subject, Ojoh-chan.

D: Thank you!

S: Especially since this pair that I swiped is even cuter!

D: Will you stop that?!

 _(After several minutes of getting panties out of the picture…)_

 _I knew what you were thinking; Don't deny it you filthy pervert._

 _Yuriko! Get off my computer!_

D: Hokay! Next is the largest parfait you ever ate and what is your favorite flavor?

Y: I've eaten a bunch of parfaits before, but one that was even bigger than the Yggdrasil one. It was in France and it was called the "Seigneur Parfait". It had 10 layers and was mango flavored! My favorite flavor is chocolate, though.

D: How… how did you even finish that one parfait?

Y: Oh yeah, it was so tasty, I ordered a second one.

D: WTF?!

 _(After recovering)_

D: So why did you blush when Kaz carried you bridal style. And what about Sieglinde teasing Loki and flirting with Tyr? Are you lesbian or bisexual?

Y: Um… well… Senpai… I'm… He's… handsome?

D: Yeah, she's got the hots for him.

Y: Wh- hey! Don't just say that out loud!

D: Why not? We're in Limbo, so nobody can possibly hear us!

 _In another dimension…_

Rise Kujikawa: Teehee, that's what you guys think.

Kanzeon: Okaa-san, what are we looking at?

Rise: Oh, nothing really. Just a show that recently came out that I really like.

Kanzeon: Is it like the Midnight channel?

Rise: No

Futaba: Hey! Move over, you're getting in Prometheus' signal connection!

Prometheus: Yeah! You're getting in my signal connection.

Kanzeon: How dare you speak to Okaa-san like that!

Prometheus: You wanna go, you noob?!

Kanzeon: I have no idea what you just called me, but I guess it's justification for me to hit you!

Rise: Ah! Wait, they were just getting to the good part!

 _Back to the show…_

D: Also, what do you think of Johei?

Y: Who?

D: Johei. You're teammate. The one with the spear?

Y: There's someone like that on our team?

D: *sigh* never mind.

D: Anyways, Sieglinde, are you a Yaoi fan? If you are, you should ask Loki for some links.

S: Well, I'm okay with Yaoi; I've done much worse, anyways. And who's Loki?

D: Johei's Persona.

S: Who's Johei

D: *sigh* I'm so sorry Johei.

D: Finally, we have a gift for you.

Y: Ooh! What is it!? Tell me tell me!

D: It's something called a chrome-pink Benefactor Panto with sticker-bombs. Can we bring that in please?

 _(Staff drives in the mini car)_

D: Oh, looks pretty neat.

Y: Aw hell yeah! I'm gonna burn some rubber with this baby!

 _(Yuriko gets into the car and turns on the engine)_

D: Wait wait wait wait! Don't drive it in here!

 _(Yuriko drives through the wall, breaking the stage and my wallet)_

S: Have fun! Make sure to wear your seat belt!

D: My wallet, my money… my poor poor funds…


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Episode: Interrogation; SPT Social Power!

 _June 27, 2021; Thursday_

 _(Lunchtime)_

"Nee-san?", Kazuhiko said in shock.

The two stood facing each other for a few minutes before Minako tackled him in a hug.

"I can't believe you're still here! Ah! You've grown so much! You're taller than me now!"

Kazuhiko awkwardly returned the hug.

"I didn't know you were here, either", Kazuhiko said, although he seemed more shocked than happy.

The picture that he had received made Minako nee-san look as if she hadn't aged at all. Tyr just watched as the whole awkward event unfolded.

" _I… I'm not sure how to react to this. Wait, what does nee-san mean?"_

"It means older sister"

" _I didn't know you had any siblings"_

"... I don't"

Minako finally let him go and gave him one of her signature bright smiles.

"Guess what? I finally was able to come back here and teach!"

" _Ah, so she was the one who the rumors were about. But why now? This all seems too-"_

"So how have you been doing here, Kaz? Is Johei still up and about with his pranks?", Minako suddenly asked.

Kaz scratched the back of his head.

"I've been doing great. The city is really… interesting. Oh, Johei's still the same, alright. He actually pulled a pretty funny prank the other day."

 _Flashback_

"Okay, so I'd like to show you all a certain specimen that is under my radar of inspection for some time now", Mr. Honkidesu said.

He pulled down a slide to reveal a poster of BTS shirtless. A couple of students stifled their laughter until the entire class exploded. Mr. Honkidesu looked at the poster and sighed.

 _Flashback End_

"Ah, I see he took my message to heart. Glad to know he's still following it after all this time."

Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Sorry, Nee-san. I need to go. I'll see you soon!"

Minako waved him goodbye and, once Kaz was gone, turned towards the wall.

"Eurydice, you can come out now."

A robotic lady colored red and pink stepped out of the wall nearby and floated over to Minako.

" _I believe that Mitsuru-senpai's information was right after all; He really is a Persona user"_ , Eurydice said.

Minako nodded.

"According to Ken's recordings, they go to some place called the _**Mirror Dimension**_. Best to find out what that is and how to get there. For now, let's try contacting Nanako if she's got any leads."

* * *

 _(Afterschool)_

 _ **Nanako POV**_

"Minako-senpai! It's great to see you again!"

Nanako wrapped her arms around her older friend while Minako did the same.

"Well then, I guess you're all up to date on the situation?"

Nanako laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"W-well, I've found out some stuff… but nothing leading to their supernatural world. They don't give away anything! They're not like that blonde phantom thief!"

 _ **Ryuji: Hey everyone, we're the PHANTOM THIEVES!**_

Minako sighed as she rubbed her head.

"Mitsuru-senpai was right, we really have to do actual work this time around."

Toyotama spoke to Nanako.

" _Don't worry, we'll find out something soon. We just need to keep digging until we hit it!"_

Eurydice turned to the direction of the voice.

" _Ah, Toyotama, I was wondering where you were. I assume that you've been assisting Nanako on her assignment?"_

A sighing sound could be heard.

" _Unfortunately, I cannot go anywhere without Nanako; the boundaries that I have are far more restrictive than the average Persona's. For now, I can only come up with ideas."_

" _Well, it's better than nothing"_ , Eurydice said.

"Speaking of Mitsuru-san, she wanted to let you know that you don't have to push yourself too hard. After all, you're not the only one working on this case-"

"No! I need to do this!", Nanako suddenly interrupted.

Minako recoiled with a stunned look.

"I know that I'll make it onto the Shadow Operatives if this proves to be a success, but I want to get onto SEES as soon as I can."

Minako shook her head.

"No can do. Direct orders from Mitsuru-san, unless you plan to face her infamous execution."

Nanako shuddered. Okay, maybe she could use a little break from following Kaz's group all day. It had been a long time since she moved to Nuzoko and she was pretty sure the unpacking excuse would work anymore, if she wanted an excuse not to be bothered.

Finally, Nanako let out a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll take the day off."

"Week", Minako corrected her.

"And while you're at it, make some friends, socialize more! You're in your golden days!"

Nanako nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

Eurydice then spoke.

" _Toyotama, I expect you to keep her in check as best as you can."_

" _Yes senpai"_ , Toyotama replied.

"Good"

Minako smiled and walked further into the school building, no doubt searching for the principal's office. Nanako watched as her superior walked out of sight.

"Well, what now?", she asked her Persona.

" _Maybe catch up with the others?"_

Nanako nodded and went back to the classroom.

* * *

 _Kyuto High, Class 2-B_

 _ **Kazuhiko's POV**_

"So, we got anything going on today?", Johei asked.

He was scrolling through the navigator on his phone, looking for an excuse to go into the Mirror Dimension.

"Calm down, man. I want to go there just as much as you do, but there's no point in running ourselves ragged when nothing's happening", Daichi told him.

Daichi, too, had been itching for an excuse to exterminate shadows, but he was more reasonable. The crow brothers, on the other hand, not so much.

" _We must defeat the Darkness!"_

" _I will not rest until every monster is slaughtered!"_

" _It is all for Princess Zelda!"_

" _My mom kicked me out of the house and I'm forced to enslave animals to fight each other!"_

The crows continued on for a while; everyone else ignored them.

Mikan sighed and picked up her bag.

"Well, I'm going to go do my shift at the hotel."

Yoichi checked his watch and shrugged.

"I've got some time to kill. You mind if I tag along?"

Mikan shook her head and the two walked out of the room. Iselin sighed as she saw them leave. Daichi took note of this and asked her,

"What's up? Got something on your mind?"

Iselin face planted into her desk.

"Some people are just so lucky… at least they can have someone who notices them…"

"Y'know", Johei started,

"I'm always available"

"Keyword being always", Daichi commented without looking up from his phone.

He stuck out his fist and Loki bumped it. Johei cringed.

"When are you ever on my side?", he asked his Persona.

" _When we're in the Mirror Dimension. Otherwise, I'm just here for the sole purpose of embarrassing you"_ , Loki replied.

Suddenly, Nanako walked into the classroom. She waved to everyone and walked to the front of Kaz's desk.

"Hey, bestie! I finally got a day off! Want to hang out?"

Kazuhiko nodded.

"Sure, I'd love to."

Iselin sighed even louder this time as Kaz and Nanako walked out of the classroom. Daichi raised an eyebrow at this.

"What is it now?"

"Another couple just left… why is my love interest such a brick?"

"A brick? Who is it?"

"My case-in-point exactly."

Yuriko, however, had her interest piques at Iselin's earlier remark.

"Wait, what did you just say?"

"What, my love interest's a brick?"

"No, before that!"

"Another couple left?"

Yuriko suddenly looked shaken and quickly excused herself from the group. Johei looked inquisitively at her and turned to Daichi.

"What's up with her?"

"She's really into Kazuhiko", Daichi replied, not looking up.

"You know this and not notice my hints?!", Iselin screamed.

"Hints? What are you talking about?"

"AAUUGH!"

Iselin grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom. Daichi now looked even more confused.

"What's up with her?", Daichi asked.

Johei sighed and grabbed his bag.

* * *

 _Shigure's Restaurant_

Kazuhiko ordered two fried rice platters for Nanako and himself. As they sat down, the two chatted as to catch up on each other's respective lives.

"Glad to hear that your dad's doing well at the station. I must say, though, you took a long time to unpack."

Nanako laughed a little bit while scratching herself nervously.

" _Maybe you should use another excuse next time"_ , Toyotama suggested.

" _Hm?"_

Tyr perked his head up. Toyotama suddenly became silent. After looking around them, Tyr shook his head and continued to watch them. Nanako, however, had been mentally stressing out.

"Uh, Nanako? Are you okay?"

Nanako came back to the current situation and laughed.

"Uh, yeah! I just saw a… a poster! See over there? Looks like Rise-chan's hitting it big in the movie business."

Kaz turned around and saw the poster.

"Oh yeah, she does. Isn't this the fourth movie she's starred in?"

"Third. She technically didn't play a major character in Room of Blue."

Once their orders came in, the two hungry teens dug in.

However, not so far from them…

 _ **Yuriko's POV**_

" _You know, we really shouldn't be doing this, Ojoh-chan"_ , Sieglinde said as Yuriko covered her face with a menu.

"I don't know what you're talking about", Yuriko replied.

"I just had a sudden urge to go to Shigure's for some mikudan."

" _You ordered a Vietnamese Pho"_

"Well, it looked good."

She kept her eyes on the two teenagers at the table.

" _Just what are they talking about?"_ , she wondered to herself.

Then, she looked at Sieglinde and noticed how easily she stood out.

"Ah! I almost forgot! Could you make yourself less conspicuous?"

Sieglinde tilted her head.

" _My my, could this be your teenage angst period? I was always told children at this age wouldn't want to be seen with their parents."_

"No, no, I mean hide yourself or Kaz-senpai will see you!"

" _Oh, you just don't want Kazuhiko-san to see you with your mother. Okay, that's understandable. Have fun with him!"_

"No! That's not what I meant! He'll notice that I'm spying on him and that girl!", Yuriko shrieked.

Suddenly, she noticed that the restaurant was peculiarly quiet. She turned to see a few people turn in her direction; Kazuhiko, Tyr, and Nanako included.

" _Oh! I get it now! You want me to-"_

"H-hey, Kaz-senpai! Didn't know you were here!", Yuriko suddenly said, interrupting her Persona.

Kaz, who was confused, waved back.

"Didn't know that you were going to Shigure's today. Want to join us?"

Yuriko nodded, and thus began the most awkward meal of her life.

 _Meanwhile…_

Mikan donned on her uniform and walked out to the front where Yoichi was talking to Takai.

"What are you doing here?", Takai asked him gruffly.

"Uh- I'm here just to help out my friend. Look, there she is now."

He pointed towards Mikan who gave Takai her check-in card.

"Whatcha tryin' to say, boy? You tryin' ta apply here?"

Yoichi scratched his head.

"Well, actually, I was more of going to work here for a da-"

"I'll tell ya what, son. You get into one of them uniforms and I'll decide whether or not you're in."

Yoichi looked at the man in a stunned silence.

"Well I-"

"No need to be modest, son. Hop to it! C'mon!"

Takai clapped his hands and Yoichi suddenly found himself speed-walking to the dressing room. Mikan chuckled to herself.

"My, Takai-san, you really know how to sell it to them."

Takai let out a hearty laugh.

"I try my best, Echihiro! Now then, where should I assign him?"

"Maybe the doorman position?", Mikan suggested.

Yoichi probably wouldn't be able to handle the luggage by himself, given the strength of his hands were already strained during the day. Speaking of which, Yoichi came back in a uniform and saluted Takai.

"Um, ready to work, sir!"

Takai looked him up and down.

"Well, he does give off a friendly vibe… alright! You're hired as our new doorman! Get to your post!"

Yoichi recoiled at his sudden response and saluted him once again.

"Y-yes! Yes sir!"

Yoichi sped into the direction of the door, Mimir in tow. Mikan tried to keep herself from laughing, while Skadi mused aloud.

" _I think I prefer him this way; less on taking charge and more on taking commands."_

 _Outside…_

"Geez, I thought I could work with Echihiro-san today!", Yoichi said as he opened the door for incoming guests.

"Welcome to the Matsuhito Hotel! Please enjoy your stay!"

He closed the door behind them and sighed.

" _Well, according to my research on the employee charts, Mikan seems to be a luggage delivery man. She probably gave you this spot because of your hands."_

Yoichi sighed, then quickly smiled as he opened the door for a businessman.

"I know, but I just wanted to spend more time with her outside of class."

" _You spend an average of 5 and a half hours with her when we go into Niflheim"_

"I meant in the real world. Socially interacting. Alone."

Mimir raised his eyebrow before closing his eyes. Several flashes of light emitted from him as he made calculations.

" _Allow me to estimate what your reason is. To see her job?"_

"No"

" _To meet her other friends?"_

"No"

" _To get into bed with her?"_

"No- wait, what?!"

" _To get into bed with her. As in sleep with her. As in you like her?"_ , Mimir spoke out his train of thought.

"N-no! I don't want to do that!"

" _My built in polygraph indicates that you are panicking. May I ask why?"_

"Because I don't want to sleep with her!"

"Um, are you okay, sir?"

A young couple in their 20s looked afraid of him. Of course, who wouldn't be a little frightened when a doorman was shouting at thin air about sleeping with someone. Yoichi's cheeks suddenly flushed crimson and he quickly opened the door.

"S-sorry about that. Please, come in."

The couple felt more cautious as they passed by Yoichi until he closed the door.

"I really need to whisper when I talk to you."

 _Inside…_

"Yes, ma'am, I've already delivered your baggage right to your room. They should be in the closet", Mikan said to a guest who had asked her about the baggage claim.

Skadi overlooked the foyer, keeping an eye on the people that were coming in a going.

" _A pretty boring job if you ask me. Repetitive and the guests are sometimes snobby."_

"If they're crossing the line, then I can always mess with them. Watch that guy come up to me."

A very pompous looking businessman walked up to her. He seemed to be on the rounder side and had no hair on his head. He seemed to have a double chin from the fat on his neck, and he reeked of the smell of cigarettes.

"Hey, little girl, go get someone in charge to take my bags to my room", he said to her in a rather rude tone.

Mikan scowled, but otherwise kept her cool.

"I happen to work here, sir. May I ask which room you are in?"

"Room 743. Now c'mon! Make it snappy!"

Mikan feigned looking up the reservations on the computer and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but that room is already occupied at the moment. Are you sure you had a reservation?"

The businessman scrunched his eyebrows.

"Yes! Absolutely sure! Check it again!"

She refreshed the page and turned it around to him, after changing the room to occupied status.

"Yes, it seems here that the room is already in use. Perhaps you made a mistake in the reservation process? We can always let you rent a room if that's the case."

The man sighed and nodded.

"Fine, what are the rates?"

"Well, we only have rooms for two available, and each costs ¥20000 a day."

The businessman's eyeballs popped out of his head.

"¥20000 per day?!"

"Additional costs may vary depending on room service."

The fat man looked at a crossroads, not knowing what to do.

"Are there any nearby hotels for cheaper?", he asked.

Mikan sadly shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. The nearest hotel is 2 miles from here and they charge ¥35000 a day."

After mentally debating, the businessman sighed and for 2 weeks using his debit card. Mikan smiled and printed him out his receipt and handed it to him along with his room key.

"Enjoy your stay!", she said with a smile.

The businessman left with barely anything in his debit card while Mikan laughed to herself.

"The real price was ¥13000 a day!"

" _I can't believe he thought the closest hotel was 2 miles from here!"_

* * *

 _Elsewhere…_

Daichi was walking back to the dorms after shopping for a bunch of food that was on bulk. When he stepped into the lobby, the person at the desk didn't even recognize him.

"How much did all that cost?", she asked him.

"¥5000", he replied as he went down the hallway.

He closed the door behind him and placed the food into his storage closet.

"Alright, we've got the SPAM and ramen all stocked up. Got another bag of protein powder… Did I forget the milk and eggs? *sigh* looks like I'll need to take another trip back to the supermarket."

He walked out of his room and waved at his Persona.

"Hey, I'm going to get some stuff I forgot. Just stay here and don't mess with anything, alright?"

" _Yes Master Daichi!"_

" _We will not let any intruder endanger your food!"_

" _The water heater shall be defended to the death!"_

" _The sink and utensils are at our command for defense!"_

"Just don't let anyone in, okay?"

Daichi left and went back to the supermarket. At that time, Iselin popped her head out of her doorway.

"Alright, now's my chance to do something for him!"

She snuck back into her room and laid out a multitude of ingredients that she had been keeping.

"So, what would Daichi like to eat? Any ideas, Hildr?"

Hildr thought hard for a moment.

" _He seems quite stoic about everything, but I'll bet he's a real softy on the inside. A cake is always a safe bet."_

Iselin nodded and looked at the ingredients.

"Hm… I don't have any flour right now, plus, I'll need sugar too."

" _How about a pecan pie? It's close enough to a cake and you have some of the ingredients"_ , Hildr pointed out as she gestured to the bag of pecans and caramel sauce.

Iselin clapped her hands.

"Alrighty then! Daichi Amasawa, prepare to feel my love in the form of the most delicious pecan pie you ever tried in your life! I just need to go get some ingredients."

She excused herself from her room and left Hildr to go to the supermarket.

 _At the Supermarket…_

"Alright, got the flour and sugar… now for the eggs!", Iselin said enthusiastically.

She was making her way to the poultry section, when she suddenly found Daichi walking towards there.

"Crap! What am I going to do now?"

She took several deep breaths before calming down.

"Okay, look Iselin, he's just probably there for some eggs. He'll leave once he's found some. Simple!"

She peeked around the corner to still see Daichi looking around.

"Oh no, he's not going anywhere; Hurry up!"

When it seemed like he wasn't going to budge, Iselin sighed.

"Alright, new plan! Let's see if I can use anything for cover… Aha!"

 _ **Daichi's POV**_

"Tch, not a good deal. Plus, all of the eggs are slightly cracked. Hm?"

A large plant caught his eye when it came towards the poultry section. Apparently, someone had put a large flower pot in their cart and was making their way to the eggs on the other side of Daichi. Whoever was behind the flowers quickly grabbed a case of eggs and placed it in their cart.

"Excuse me", he said.

"Eep! I-I mean, yes?"

From the sound of the voice, the person seemed to be a teenage girl.

"You know, there's a much better deal on eggs over there", he told her.

"Um, actually, I'm fine. Yes! These eggs are, uh, special ones!"

Daichi raised his eyebrow.

"Special? How so?"

The girl started to shuffle a little bit behind the flowers.

"Um, well, uh, y'see, they're… organic?"

Daichi paused until he replied.

"Oh, okay then. Never mind."

After that, the girl quickly pushed her cart away from Daichi as fast as she could, without giving so much as a goodbye or thank you.

"Weird", he said to himself.

"Although, she sounded kind of familiar… "

 _Back at the dorms…_

 _ **Iselin's POV**_

"Fwah!"

Iselin came back into her room and placed the ingredients on the table. Hildr raised an eyebrow.

" _What's gotten you all riled up?"_

Iselin waved her hand.

"It's nothing. Now, let's get to work!"

After an hour, she was able to get the pie crust and filling just right. She placed the pie in the oven and waited for it to bake until…

"It's finally done!"

" _But how does it taste?"_ , Hildr asked.

" _It's always a good idea to taste your food before you serve it"_

Iselin looked at the pie and shrugged. She cut out a slice for herself and bit into it.

"It… "

" _Yes?"_ , Hildr said.

"Tastes..."

" _Go on… "_

"Awesome!"

Iselin pumped her fist into the air and jumped for joy.

"There's no way he won't love this!"

 _ **Daichi's POV**_

"I can't believe you guys trashed my room again!"

The crows were on his bed posts, hanging their heads in shame.

" _We saw another one of our kind come through the window… "_

" _He seemed to take an interest, so we let him in… "_

" _We were hoping to recruit him for the cause… "_

Daichi sighed as he looked at the mess that was now his room.

"Great, I won't be able to make dinner like this… "

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Daichi heard a light knocking on his door and went to open it.

"Hello?"

He looked around, but didn't see anyone in sight. Then, he looked down and saw a pecan pie with a note attached to it.

 _I made this with all of my heart. Please accept it and think of me._

He turned it around and noticed that there was no signature or indication of a sender. Shrugging, he decided to put it down when-

*GROWL*

He looked at his stomach which had suddenly growled. Remembering how he couldn't cook dinner despite his kitchen, he wasn't left with many other choices.

"Well, this is just dessert, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."

He set the pie down on his table and help himself to a slice of pie.

"Say, this is pretty good! Whoever made this really went all ou- CAUGH!"

Iselin stopped by his room to notice that the door was open. Then, she saw the pie on his table and a slice on the plate.

"Yes! He ate it!"

Then her eyes drifted to Daichi who was choking.

"Wait, what's wrong? Daichi?!"

The crows were flying around the room.

" _Oh no! It was poisoned!"_

" _Get him the antidote, quick!"_

Iselin quickly went into his room and noticed his neck growing red.

"... oh shit."

* * *

 _(Evening)_

 _Nanako's House; Front Doorstep_

"Thanks for showing me around, bestie!", Nanako said.

Kaz nodded.

"It was nothing. Besides, we actually got to hang out together for once."

Nanako nodded.

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Although, that kouhai of yours seemed pretty uncomfortable… "

 _Flashback_

Yuriko fidgeted in her seat as they ate. Nanako, who decided to break the ice, spoke up.

"So, how long have you known Kazu-"

"Pleasedonttellmeyoureintohimoranythinglikethatwhyamipanickingimnotpanickingimfineareyoufinepleasedontthinkimweird!"

Nanako fell silent and just decided to stop talking.

 _Flashback end_

"Yeah, she's quite the character alright. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow"

"Wait", she said.

Kazuhiko stopped and turned around. Nanako fidgeted.

"Did you happen to see anything strange these past few months?"

Kazuhiko scratches his chin.

 _Strange that she would ask that,_ he thought to himself.

"Well, there have been a string of suicides lately. They all happen at the same place and in the same way."

Nanako nodded and thanked him.

"Thanks, Kaz. I just feel pretty on edge. It's been quite a while that something like that happened for a while."

"You mean it's been a while since the last suicide case?", he asked.

Nanako shook her head.

"Well, it's more like something strange hasn't happened to me in a long time…"

She stopped talking as if realizing what she was going on about, then waved.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Kazuhiko turned around to leave, but before he did,

* * *

 _June 28, 2021; Friday_

 _(After School)_

"Dude, what happened to you?", Johei asked.

Daichi had come back from the hospital the night before with a full recovery, but his rash on his neck still had some faint marks.

"Well, last night, somebody left a pie in front of my door. Since Hugin and Munin trashed my room, I couldn't make any dinner and I didn't want to go out for some food, so I had a slice. Turns out that I'm allergic to pecans, so Iselin rushed me to the hospital when she saw me having a reaction."

Hugin and Munin were perched on desks behind Daichi.

" _Master Daichi still denies that it was an attempt on his life"_ , Munin cawed.

" _We have taken it upon ourselves to inspect everything given to him"_ , Hugin followed.

" _We intend to find the assassin before they succeed!"_

" _We will not leave your side, Lord Caesar!"_

" _We will find Brutus!"_

"At least they're paying attention in Literature", Yuriko muttered.

Daichi sighed and reached for a box of animal crackers and opened it.

" _No Master Daichi! Not yet!"_

Hugin hit the cracker away from his mouth using his wing. It hit the ground and he started pecking it.

"What are you doing?!", Daichi asked.

Hugin continued pecking at the cracker while Munin explained.

" _You have no idea what was in that thing!"_

"The most harmful thing in there is high fructose corn syrup."

" _You don't know that!"_

"It's on the ingredients label."

" _They could be lying to you!"_

"They're factory-made, exactly the same as all the others, and distributed all over Japan for everyone to consume."

" _They're part of a mass genocide?! Brother! We must go stop them!"_

" _Right you are Munin! We must stop these manufacturers of harmless animal crackers!"_

The two flew out the window towards god-knows-where. Daichi sighed, picked up another cracker from the box, and ate it.

"But seriously, thanks Iselin. I would have been in real trouble if you didn't show up."

Iselin sweated nervously.

"Yeah, I was just at the right place, at the right time… "

Hildr remained silent. Loki, who looked skeptical, approached her.

" _You know something about this, don't you?"_ , he asked her.

Hildr quickly shook her head.

" _I have no idea what you're talking about."_

" _Sure… "_

Loki changed to his Sherlock and bubble pipe face.

" _Alright then, might I ask what you were doing yesterday?"_

" _What were you doing yesterday seems to be the better question."_

" _I was busy staying at home because Johei kept on crying about how lonely he was-"_

"Hey!"

" _And I can't go anywhere without him so I just did Netflix and Chill."_

Loki continued interrogating the valkyrie while everyone else was talking.

"So how was your date with Dojima-chan?", Johei asked.

Kazuhiko shrugged.

"It was nice, we caught up with each other at Shigure's."

Yuriko began to feel very uncomfortable at the very mention of Nanako. Iselin took notice.

"Wait a second… are you what I think you are?"

Yuriko turned to Iselin.

"N-no I'm not!"

"I didn't even say anything yet"

Iselin plopped herself into the seat next to Yuriko and sling her arm around her.

"C'mon! You can tell momma bear! I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff!"

Yuriko looked uncomfortable under Iselin's arm, so uncomfortable that she didn't even choose to grope her even though the proximity was perfect. Johei sighed and picked up his stuff.

"Welp, I'm going home. I want to make the most of our suicide free time to the fullest."

Everyone waved goodbye to him as he left. Some time later, Kazuhiko decided it was time to leave as well. This left Yoichi, Mikan, Yuriko, Iselin, and Daichi in the classroom with their respective Persona. Hildr inched towards Sieglinde.

" _So"_ , she started

" _You feeling talkative?"_

Sieglinde sat herself down.

" _Oh, you wouldn't know the half of it! When my sweet little Yuriko ojoh-chan saw him with that other girl-"_

"S-Sieglinde! Don't tell her!", Yuriko suddenly said to her Persona.

"Oho, what have we here?"

Iselin suddenly scooted towards Sieglinde.

"Mind telling me what those thoughts were?"

Yuriko couldn't take any more of this.

"Say, Daichi-senpai, who was that girl you were hanging out with last week? How was your date?"

Iselin stopped interrogating Sieglinde and turned around.

"He… he what?"

Daichi gave Yuriko a confused look.

"I don't recall ever going out on a da-"

"But you've been on dates with so many other girls that you forgot?", Yuriko said as she covered his mouth.

"W-WHAT?!"

Iselin's body turned pale and her soul started slipping out of her mouth.

"This is the end for me… don't make too much of a fuss… "

" _Aw, I wanted to hear the gossip"_ , Hildr said.

Yuriko wiped her brow and swiftly ran out of the classroom with Sieglinde. Yoichi and Mikan were now the only ones talking.

"How can you work like that all the time?", Yoichi asked

"I mean, I worked as a doorman, but the other jobs looked pretty tough!"

Mikan shrugged.

"I guess I just got used to it."

"And your employer, what's up with him? He begged me to stay when I left for the day."

 _Flashback_

"Please! Don't leave! I'll give you a 50% raise! I'll give you health insurance! I'll even let you take vacation days! Just please don't go!"

 _Flashback End_

"Yeah, we're pretty short on hands at the moment, he always gets like that around this time of year."

The two chatted for a while before eventually leaving.

 _Meanwhile…_

"*sigh* not even my usual remedy works."

Yuriko was outside of the girls' locker room, watching the girls on the track team change into their (sexy) uniforms. She usually came here whenever something was on her mind, but now, it didn't help at all.

"What should I do?"

" _Ojoh-chan, you're still young; You'll have many other chances with many other people. It's not the end of the world if you fail once."_

She sighed again and rested on the window sill.

"Hey, could ya scoot over? I want to get a good look."

"Yeah, sure- wait, WHAT?!"

Yuriko turned around and saw Johei leaning on the window sill.

"Yo", he replied to her.

"What are you doing here?! This is the girls' side! No peeking!"

"But, isn't that what you're doing?"

"I-I am not! I just happen to be inspecting the fitness of the track team! Yes, that's right!"

Johei just looked back through the window.

"Whatever; I know you're lying anyways. Hey, Loki, can you get some pictures?"

"And what are you two doing here?", a voice said to them.

The two perverts jumped five feet into the air and noticed Minako with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised.

"Um, well, we, uh", Yuriko stuttered.

" _Nice going, she won't be suspicious at all"_ , Loki said to Yuriko.

Sieglinde smacked the back of Loki's head.

" _Don't you talk that way to my daughter, you imbecile!"_

" _And here I thought Skadi and Hildr were the only ones to hit me… "_

"We were just, uh, having some heart-to-heart time!", Johei blurted out.

" _Nice save, bro!"_

*SMACK*

"WHAT-"

"-are you doing here, Minako nee-san?"

Johei quickly covered Yuriko's mouth with his hand. Minako, however, blushed.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your time", Minako said.

"I was just looking around for you so we could catch up. How about it, then? You and your girlfriend at Shigure's? My treat?"

Yuriko glared at Johei and he quickly took a hint.

"Uh, actually, Yuriko-chan here's waiting for a couple of her friends, so she won't be able to join. I can come along though."

Minako looked happy and they both left.

"I am going to so kill him later", Yuriko muttered.

 _ **Kazuhiko POV**_

He was waiting at a table at Shigure's with Tyr when Minako came in with Johei.

" _Here they come"_ , Tyr said.

They all sat down at his table and placed their orders.

"It's really nice to be able to catch up after all this time, nee-san", Kazuhiko said.

Minako nodded.

"I see you two have made some friends as well. Johei definitely has a way with the ladies, though."

Kazuhiko raised his eyebrow.

"Long story, I'll tell you later", Johei told him.

Minako pulled up her purse.

"Oh, that reminds me, I have something that I'm not sure about. Could you help me out?", Minako asked.

Both boys nodded.

"Sure, nee-san, we'd be glad to help you out"

Minako smiled and brought out a familiar looking QR card from her purse. It was reflective and had a faint mark of chains around it.

"Do you two know anything about this?"

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaand we are BACK! It's so great to just come back to you guys when I have the free time. Once again, thanks so much for your guys' support on this story. Answers for some reviewers from the last chapter, no my grandfather was not killed during the 9/11 attacks, I was just using it similar to that one scene in Family Guy Star Wars. Peter: "Why thank you, this Millenium Falcon was my cousin Louie's. He died of Leukemia. How do you feel now?" Anyways, please leave a review for this story, it always puts a smile on my face to know that you guys are still reading this. So Minako knows about the Mirror Dimension. HOW?! And before Nanako, too! What's gonna happen to the dynamic duo next? Well, I'm still working on that. I'll talk to you guys next time! See ya!**_

* * *

 _Persona: OLP Bloopers_

 _ **Let's just say that this is a movie being filmed; Keep in mind that some characters will be OOC**_

Minako: What are you two doing?

Johei: Um, we were, uh, just, uh, y'know…

Minako: *gasp* don't tell me you two were

(she puts her finger into a loop created by the other hand)

Johei turns pale

Yuriko: Oh, what you actin' so shy for? Of course we were doing that!

(Yuriko stretches her leg up to Johei's shoulder)

Johei: W-WHAT THE SHIT ARE YOU DOING?!

(Yuriko and Minako can't stop laughing while Johei gets a massive nosebleed)

(-)

Hildr: I have no idea what you're talking about

Loki: Sure…

(puts up "worth it" face)

Hildr: You've got the wrong one

Loki: Wait, really? Oh crap.

(puts up Yaoi comic front page)

Hildr: snrk! Hahaha!

Iselin: Oh yeah, sure, "Netflix and Chill!"

Loki: Wait, how'd that get here?!

(-)

Yuriko: H-hey, Kaz-senpai! Didn't know you were here!

Kazuhiko: Uh…

(Nanako closes her eyes and suddenly stands up)

Nanako: There is only one explanation for your presence her, Yuriko Ikebukoro!

Yuriko and Kazuhiko stay silent.

Nanako: Now, reveal your true feelings! Your true feelings… about me!

(Kazuhiko looks stunned, but Yuriko plays along)

Yuriko: N-nanako-senpai, whenever I see you… my heart flutters ever so slightly… whenever I look at your picture on my phone… I can't help but just think of… of touching myself in ways…

(Kazuhiko slams his head on the table while laughing. Nanako stops looking serious and covers her face)

Dangstaboy (director): Oh God, Yuriko! Keep it PG-13! Think of the children! The children!

(-)

(Minako reaches into her purse; Johei and Kazuhiko gulp)

Minako: What do you boys think… OF THIS?!

(She pulls out a Persona: OLP; Dancing Stage Light release poster, coming out November twenty-never)

Kazuhiko: AH! MY EYES!

Johei: NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT!

Minako: Huh? Whoops, sorry, got the wrong one. I meant THIS!

(pulls out Mirror Dimension QR code)

Kazuhiko: Oh, was that it? That's not too bad.

Johei: Yeah, I'm cool with this.

(Everyone starts laughing)

Johei: Yeah, we'll just tell you all about it!

Minako: I know, right?!


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Warm-up; Something I need to do

 _June 28, 2021; Friday_

 _After school_

 _Shigure's Restaurant_

The two boys and their respective Persona were sent into a state of shock. Minako set the QR card down on the table and rested her head on her hand.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, I want a few answers from you. Don't worry, you're not in trouble"

" _Yeah, like we're gonna believe that"_ , Loki said aloud.

He earned a glare from Minako.

" _Oh… yeah… right… "_

A sweat drop formed on the boys' heads and they turned back to their older sister. Kazuhiko scratched the back of his head.

"Alright, you've got us. But we're not doing anything wro-"

"I never said you were. On the contrary, I believe that you might actually be helping."

Minako took a sip of her tea and set the glass down.

"But still, it's dangerous business, and that's why I'm here talking to the both of you."

The boys gulped and more silence followed.

"Now then", Minako started as she pulled out a piece of paper.

"I want you to write down the names of all the members in you group, including what year they are in."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow as he took the paper.

"Why do you want us to do this?"

Minako sighed and sat back.

"I hoped you wouldn't ask cause it's a pain to explain it, but I guess you two still are the same two kids that I know and care about."

"It's to sign you up to be a part of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, or SEES for short. Right now, you all are too inexperienced for this. That's why we need every single one of your members to back out now and let the professionals handle it. This doesn't mean that your powers won't go to waste, though. You'll be training with top-notch veterans who have gone through the same things you have and act as reserve members when we need you."

Kazuhiko looked at the paper, then at his older sister.

"You mean there's more of us out there?"

Minako smiled.

"Yup! Tons of 'em! They're all trained and ready to bust some Shadows!"

Then, Kaz looked over to his friend who shrugged.

"Can I talk in private for a moment?", he asked Minako.

Minako nodded.

"Sure. This isn't something that can be rushed, anyways."

He nodded in thanks and pulled Johei outside.

"So what do you think of this offer?", Kazuhiko asked Johei.

Johei looked skeptical.

"I'm not sure; Part of me wants to take the chance. We won't have to put ourselves in danger and the pros might do a better job than we can. Plus, Nee-san seems to want us to do it… "

"I'm sensing a 'but' here"

Johei nodded.

"The other part of me doesn't want to take the offer. That bastard Shiroe started this fight, and I want to end it. Letting somebody else do this might prove to be the better idea, but I can't just stand back and let someone take my job from me, y'know?"

Kaz folded his arms and sighed.

"They're both compelling arguments. After all, we just got Yuriko on the team; She may prove to be strong, but I can't tell what I'll do if one of you guys die. There's just too much at risk."

Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't like taking any of the choices, but I will follow you, whatever decision you make, Kaz. I'm sure everyone else will too."

" _Stalker"_ , Loki said.

Johei glared at his Persona while Tyr shook his head.

" _Not now, Loki."_

Johei then proceeded back into the restaurant and left Kazuhiko alone with his Persona.

"Hey Tyr, anything like this happened to you before?"

Tyr leaned on the side of the building with his user.

" _Yes, actually. It was during the binding of Fenrir, when the Gods were afraid of the Wolf becoming too powerful to control. They devised a plan to use the rope Gleipnir to tie him to a tree forever. The plan was to trick him into thinking that it was a test of his strength, but we would leave him there once the rope held."_

" _There was a catch, however. He only agreed to be tied up if one of us placed their hand in his mouth. If our promises of a challenge were true and we would let him go afterwards, the owner of that hand would have nothing to fear. But we ended up tricking him. And so I lost my hand."_

Kaz looked up at his Persona who was staring at his robotic hand. Tyr sighed and turned to his user.

" _You're trying to see what my past doings can help you decide, aren't you?"_

Kaz nodded.

"It's like I'm in the same position as you were. I can sacrifice my motive and everyone else's to get the job done and we'd all be safe, or I can risk all our lives by taking on Shiroe ourselves."

" _If I may add on that"_ , Tyr started

" _It didn't matter what I did to bind Fenrir; he broke out of those bonds many ages later. Thus, we all died on Ragnarok. True, I saved all the Gods a good deal of time, but the end result was the same as we had feared. Sometimes, I wished that I would have kept my mouth shut when he called for someone to place their hand in his mouth. Maybe then, we would have had a fighting chance against him if we all fought against him together. At least, I wouldn't have lost my hand for no good reason."_

Tyr turned back to Kazuhiko.

" _But that doesn't mean that the latter decision is the right one. You just have to do what's best for the group. That's why they made you the leader, after all."_

Kazuhiko smiled and nodded.

"Thanks for the talk, Tyr. I've made my decision."

(-)

"I'm sorry, Minako Nee-san, but we can't take this offer. We all made a vow to finish this ourselves and we're not going back on our word."

Minako smiled at the two boys.

"Well, I guess some of the higher-ups owe me money. I didn't think that you would take the offer. The other two groups didn't until after they solved everything themselves."

She stood up from the table and placed some money on the table.

"Well, I'll leave you alone now. Good luck you two!"

They waved goodbye to her as she left the restaurant, then stopped to chat.

"Should we tell everyone else about this?", Johei asked.

Kaz shrugged.

"I might tell them, but not now. We've already got a lot on our plate as it is."

(-)

 _Matsuhito Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 _Evening_

"Yeah, that's the plan so far, Yuriko-san", Kazuhiko spoke into his phone.

" _Really? Great! I'll get something with me on Sunday!"_

After hanging up, Kaz put his phone onto his desk. He landed onto his bed on his back and closed his eyes.

" _Kazuhiko? I've been meaning to ask you something."_

"Mhm? What's up?", he replied without opening his eyes.

Tyr sat down on the bed next to him.

" _I don't know if this happens to you, since we're Persona and User I thought we might be linked, but I'm not sure if that actually works since it never happened to me-"_

"Just get to the point, Tyr."

Tyr let out a heavy sigh.

" _Well, did you ever see any of my dreams?"_

Kaz shook his head.

"No, I don't. Are any of the dreams getting to you, though? I've been through the same thing. It helps to talk about it."

Tyr nodded.

" _Well, these dreams are a continuation of the visions I keep having. See, I constantly dream of this young boy; his features, I can't make out, but I felt like I had a strong connection to him."_

" _I cared a great deal about him, and he to myself. I watched over him as he grew older, but, for some reason, he vanished. I looked all over for him and I couldn't find him anywhere. Then, I noticed that I was in a place that I never recognized. Everything was white, and I couldn't see a living soul for miles."_

" _I tried walking around, but there proved to be nothing in the place. It was completely empty, except for me."_

Kazuhiko was now sitting upright, his eyes open.

"And then?"

" _Just when I was about to give up, I woke and the dream ended."_

Kaz laid back on the bed, his hands behind his head.

"That seems pretty complicated, I'll say that. I have no idea what it means. Are you sure this isn't a memory from your past life?"

Ty nodded.

" _Yes, there were many things that did not fit in my past lifetime. I do have the notion though… "_

"That what?"

" _... never mind, I don't want to trouble you."_

"Tyr, at this point, we're more than just User and Persona. We're friends. You know that you can tell me anything and I wouldn't think any less of you."

After a long time, Tyr sighed.

" _I… guess. It seemed strange to me, but the child seemed to remind me of you."_

Another long silence. Then, Kaz spoke.

"Tyr, I don't know what you're truly thinking right now, but let me tell you this. I will never leave you, even if it means dying. And if you were to leave, I'd do anything to try and get you back."

Tyr smiled.

" _Thank you, Kazuhiko. I think I might sleep better tonight, thanks to you."_

"Glad to help". Kaz said as he laid back down on his bed and promptly fell asleep.

Tyr continued to lean on the wall until he was enveloped by the hands of sleep as well.

(-)

 _Same time_

 _Dojima Household; Nanako's Room_

" _Yeah, they didn't take the offer. I'll go report to Mitsuru-san the next time she's back from her meetings and conferences"_

Nanako nodded.

"So I'm guessing I'm gonna be laying low for now?"

" _That would be the case. Regardless of what they decided, we still need to keep tabs on them in case someone gets hurt. I'll see you tomorrow, Dojima-chan."_

Nanako ended the call and sprawled out on her bed. Just when she thought she could come clean, Minako-sensei had delivered the bad news.

" _*sigh*, and I was so intent on finally meeting everybody… "_

"Don't worry, Toyotama, we'll get into the group eventually."

" _I know, it's just that… well, I'm kind of afraid… "_

"Afraid of what?", Nanako asked.

"If it's that Loki guy, I won't let him do anything to you. I'm pretty sure that Skadi and Hildr will make sure of that too."

" _No, it's not that"_ , Toyotama replied.

" _I just think that… well, I'll never get to see who I am. I'm afraid I may be invisible forever."_

Nanako jumped out of bed and shook her head.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What are you doing, thinking like that? Of course you'll be visible! I'll make sure of it!"

Nanako could hear sniffing coming from Toyotama.

" _That's… that's really sweet coming from you, Nanako. You're like the bigger sister I never had."_

Nanako smiled.

"Well, what can I say? I guess Big Bro rubbed off onto me a little."

" _While we're on the subject… could I call you Big Sis?"_

Nanako nodded.

"Sure you can! Never thought that I'd be called that, though."

"Nanako, I'm home!", a voice called from downstairs.

"Oh, it's Dad!"

Nanako dashed down the stairs to warmly welcome her father from work. Toyotama, meanwhile stayed inside the room.

" _Big Sis… heh, never thought I'd be saying that… "_

(-)

 _June 30, 2021; Sunday_

 _Mirror Dimension_

"Alright then, this is the place where we'll be training", Kazuhiko said as he showed Yuriko Niflheim.

A cold feeling went up the pinkette's back as she looked at the tower that could have very well been her doom.

" _Ojoh-chan, there's nothing to be scared of now. I'm here with you"_ , Sieglinde said to her user.

Yuriko nodded and took deep breaths.

"Okay, let's do this!"

Everyone took out their weapons from the duffel bags that they had. Johei was in the middle of sharpening his spear when…

"Wait, did you seriously bring that?"

Johei pointed to Yuriko who brought a scythe. Yuriko nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep! It was just hanging around on the shelves at the metalsmiths shop and I thought it looked cool, so I bought it! Whaddya think?"

Johei rubbed his temples.

"Okay, the whole purpose of bringing a weapon is to defend yourself, not look cool, Yuriko. Kaz, should we take her back to the shop and get her something different?"

Kaz shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine. She can use it."

Johei raised his eyebrow and turned back to his pink-haired underclassman.

"Okay then, little miss Ruby. How about a deal? You and me! One on one! No Persona! If you lose, you'll have to return that back to the shop!"

"And if I win?"

"Ah, what the hell. You're not gonna win anyway. Say what, I'll treat you to some Korean barbeque when we get back!"

"Deal!", Yuriko exclaimed as she whipped out her scythe.

She swung it in a crescent slash on both sides of her and executed a butterfly kick while slashing with her scythe in mid-air, landing with her feet sprawled out in a wide stance and her scythe held in under-hand position. Johei's eyes were wide open and was sweating bullets.

"Hey, Johei, can I get in on this bet too?", Kazuhiko asked.

" _Hildr, get the camera. I want to remember this moment"_ , Skadi whispered to her friend.

" _Already on it! I don't wanna forget this either!"_ , Loki said as he put his screen on video mode.

" _My my, it's so nice to have some friendly competition!"_ , Sieglinde said as she wore a 'Yuriko is #1!' T-shirt.

 _Later…_

Yuriko wrenched her scythe out of the head of a shadow she had just demolished.

"Man, that feels liberating!"

Kazuhiko chuckled.

"Yeah, finally using a Persona does that to you."

Meanwhile, Johei was lagging behind the group in a blank stupor.

"My wallet… completely gone… in a matter of seconds… "

"Well, that's what you get for what you did", Iselin said.

"And what did I do exactly?"

Iselin brought her finger to her lip.

"Well, you did do… actually, never mind. This may be the only time you didn't deserve something."

Daichi pulled out his phone.

"Should we head back now? I feel like we've let Yuriko have enough training for today."

Kazuhiko wiped his forehead of sweat and checked the time.

"Good idea, Daichi. Plus, we already made some decent progress, so I'd call today a success."

"Yuriko, you were awesome out there!", Mikan said to her.

Yuriko sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

"Thanks, sorry I can't use a lot of offensive skills, though."

" _Sieglinde doesn't seem to learn any elemental skills in the future; mostly healing and buffers"_ , Mimir said after doing a quick scan.

"She can learn physical attacks, though. I guess we should switch you in during boss fights if any of us need healing or a status boost", Yoichi concluded.

Yuriko nodded and stole a glance to Kazuhiko, who was sharing an energy drink with Johei. Suddenly filled with determination, she strode over to them.

"Don't worry, man. I help you take the brunt of the fee", Kaz told his prankster friend.

"*sigh* thanks. I don't get why I always have the bad luck."

"*ahem* Sukima-senpai?", Yuriko asked.

Kaz turned to Yuriko. Suddenly, Yuriko felt a sudden pang of anxiety as all of Kaz's attention was placed on her.

"Yes? What's up?"

"Uh… um… well… I uh… "

Kaz tilted his head in confusion.

"Is something wrong? Do you feel exhausted?"

Yuriko's fidgeting violently rose until she couldn't take it anymore.

"I… I- UWAAAAAAAAH!"

She suddenly rushed down the hall, hiding her face in embarrassment. Kaz, however, looked even more confused.

"Was she just in a hurry to get back?"

Johei gulped down the rest of his Boost drink and crushed the can.

"Probably looking forward to that barbeque that I owe her. *sigh* goodbye my savings."

"Jeez, Johei, I told you I'll pay for it."

(-)

 _Maru-Q Korean BBQ_

"Ah! That hit the spot!", Yuriko said as she finished her food.

Johei sighed as he downed the last of his Miso soup.

"Well, I guess this wasn't a total waste. Thankfully, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet, so we only had to pay entrance fee. Don't know why you guys had to come, though."

The rest of the team were sitting at a table right next to them.

"Well, since Kaz was paying, we thought 'what the heck?'", Iselin said as she put down her chopsticks.

" _Master Daichi, this remarkable flavor… it just rejuvenates my body!",_ Hugin cawed.

" _It is more delectable than the apples of Idunn!"_

"Yeah, Korean barbeque is pretty good, but it's pretty fattening if you don't watch what you eat", he said as he picked up some lean beef from the grill in the middle of the table.

Yoichi sat back and closed his eyes.

"We have got to do this more often… "

"Oh hell no! You did NOT just say that!", Johei said as he pointed his finger at Yoichi.

"I almost went bankrupt because of this!"

"I paid 80% of it; you still could have afforded it even if I didn't", Kazuhiko said as he browsed through his phone, not looking up.

Yuriko leaned on the table, scooting a bit closer to Kazuhiko.

"Man, I just love it when a guy pays for a lady's meal."

"Well, technically speaking, I'm paying for the whole group's meal", Kaz replied.

However, Johei took the hint and broke open his wallet.

"I'M PAYING FOR EVERYTHING!"

"I still already paid, Johei."

(-)

After saying goodbye to everyone, Kaz was walking back to the hotel, only to be joined by Yuriko, who said that she was on the way to pick something up.

"Okay, then", was all he replied.

The walk was quite silent, neither one of them saying anything to each other. Finally, Yuriko broke the ice.

"So, uh, how do you like it here?"

"It's… interesting to say the least."

"Really? How so?"

Kazuhiko pointed behind him.

"Oh… right."

 _Okay then, if I can't start a normal conversation, I should try getting closer to the point!_ , she thought.

"So, any relationships so far?"

Kaz scratched his chin.

"Well, as a matter of fact, yes."

Yuriko dead-panned at the revelation.

 _He's… he's already taken?_

"Well then, who?", she asked.

Kaz closed his eyes.

"Um, well, it's hard to recall when you have so many."

 _W-wow, I didn't know that he was this popular with the ladies_

"So many all at once, that is."

 _W… WHAT?! Senpai, you man-whore!_

Behind them, Tyr sighed.

" _It truly is such a shame that he can't see what's happening."_

" _Mhm!"_ , Sieglinde humphed as she threw away a sign saying 'Notice me!'

"I mean, I'm not dating anyone, but I have a lot of responsibilities to others."

Yuriko quickly let out an anticipated breath of air.

 _Phew, I thought he was just two-timing the heck out of everybody…_

Kazuhiko noticed Yuriko's distress and calmly smiled as patted her on the head.

"Don't worry, you'll always be special to me."

Yuriko suddenly blushed as she felt physical contact from her crush.

"Well, this is my stop. See you tomorrow!", Kaz said as he walked into the hotel.

 _Meanwhile…_

Nanako was walking around, enjoying her Sunday.

"Man, I should really take breaks more often!", she said.

" _Yep! You seem to be more chipper than usual, Nanako-nee!"_

As she walked down the road, she caught a glimpse of Kazuhiko.

"Oh it's Kaz! Hey Besti-"

Then, she saw him patting the head of a pink-haired girl, who was blushing profusely.

"W-w-what?"

He went into the hotel, leaving the girl by herself. The girl then skipped away in cheerful spirits. Nanako, however, fell to her knees and clutched her head.

"How did I not see this coming?! Of course he would choose a cute pink-haired girl over a country bumpkin like me!"

" _Ah! Nanako-nee! Don't be sad! I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding! Nanako-nee?! NANAKO-NEE!"_

(-)

 _July 1, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High; Room 2-B_

 _(Morning)_

Kazuhiko was talking with Johei until the bell rang and went back into his seat.

"Dude, I'm telling you this thing I'm working on will blow your mind!", Johei said enthusiastically.

Kaz nodded his head and took out his textbook. Suddenly, the door opened up and the class representative stood up out of his desk.

"Alright, everyone! Stand!"

The rest of the classroom stood up to face the teacher, but there was something new. The representative, however, didn't miss a beat.

"And bow!"

After Kaz looked up to see the teacher, he recognized the face.

"Morning, everyone! Mr. Ozuma had a new contract with another school, so your principal decided to hire me as your new homeroom teacher! My name is Ms. Arisato and I hope we get along well together!"

Immediately, everyone started talking at once amongst themselves. Johei, however, was beside himself with joy.

"Oh. My. God. This is going to be the best year ever!"

Johei looked at Kazuhiko with a new ray of light in his eyes.

"With Nee-san as the teacher, we can actually take it easy! She won't be as strict as Ozuma and everything!"

"Really?!", Iselin asked.

"You mean I don't have to do homework if I tell her I know you guys?"

Then, in that moment, a piece of chalk whisked past Johei's eyes, cut off some strands of his hair, ricocheted off the wall, then the ceiling, and dissipated upon impact with Iselin's desk in a pile of dust. They slowly turned towards the front of the classroom to see Minako's arm outstretched.

"I'll also have you all know that I am not a pushover; your previous teacher merely improvised the chalk-throwing technique to suit his arthritis, however I trained for two years to perfect my stance, aiming, and speed. I will only warn you once: this is not a time to slack off."

Johei and Iselin started sweating intensely while Daichi casually sipped on some strawberry milk.

"Guess that serves you two right."

(-)

The students were listening in on Minako's lecture while taking notes. Usually around this time, the Persona would talk outside the classroom, as to not disturb their users.

" _Who is this lady that Johei claims to know?"_ , Hildr asked the group.

" _Apparently, it's Johei's and Kazuhiko's figurative older sister. They're not related by blood, though"_ , Tyr answered.

" _Oh yeah, that reminds me. She also knows what we're doing, but is only aware of Kaz and Johei doing it"_ , Loki added.

This perked the interest of the Valkyrie and the Crows.

" _What? She knows of our presence?"_ , Hugin asked.

" _There must be a traitor in our midst!"_ , Munin exclaimed.

" _And I have a clear idea of who it is!"_

The crows disappeared into the classroom while the remaining Persona looked amongst themselves.

" _Should we go stop them?"_ , Tyr asked.

Hildr shook her head.

" _Nah, I want to enjoy the few times they provide humor."_

 _In the classroom…_

" _It was you all along!"_ , Munin said as he grabbed Johei's shoulder.

His brother was grabbing the other shoulder as well.

" _You shall face divine punishment for your betrayal!"_

Amazingly, nobody paid any mind to the occurrence that was happening; To the regular non-Persona-user eye, the shoulders of Johei's uniform seemed to be floating upwards while he himself was desperately trying to stay seated. Finally, Tyr stepped in and ushered the crows back outside.

Minako, who was writing on the chalkboard gave out a sigh of relief.

"Good riddance. They were getting hard to ignore."

 _Back in the Hallways…_

" _No, there are no traitors!"_ , Loki told the crows.

" _Are you sure?"_

" _You might be in league with them!"_

" _Down with the insurgency!"_

The crows attacked Loki who constantly tried to push them away while Tyr and Hildr were talking.

" _Wait, so you said that she can see us?"_

Tyr nodded.

" _Apparently so."_

" _But wouldn't she need a Persona to see us?"_

" _That is true… I'm still unsure whether she's a special case, or has a Persona she hasn't introduced yet."_

" _Oh, Minako-san does have a Persona. It's me"_ , a voice popped up behind them.

Tyr jumped, clearly startled and turned around to see a metallic Persona with a heart shaped harp on her back, light chestnut hair, and a golden torso.

" _My name is Eurydice. Pleased to meet you."_

" _And I'm pleased to ask you out on a date, good-lookin'!"_ , Loki suddenly said before said harp was embedded into his face.

" _Huh, I like her already"_ , Hildr said.

" _I merely came here to explain any questions you may have"_ , Eurydice explained

" _Although some questions I am not at liberty to answer."_

" _Fair enough"_ , Tyr said.

" _Who exactly is your user, and how is she involved in all of this?"_

" _She, like you all, had a group that underwent similar circumstances and fought against the supernatural. As for the specifics, that is confidential. However, I will say that the majority of the group is planning on gathering many Persona users together to help with the combatment of rising Shadow threats."_

Hildr pondered on her thoughts before asking a follow-up question.

" _And what would this group gain? I don't mean to be rude, but surely there must be some goal in mind?"_

" _So far, the only clear target is to prevent more people from getting hurt like the cases of Apathy Syndrome. Besides that, my uppers have not spoken a word on the matter."_

Hildr narrowed her eyes on that note.

" _Hm… I'm not sure if I trust you yet… "_

Ty tried to diffuse the situation, but Eurydice ended it with a shrug.

" _And I didn't ask you to trust me; Like I said, I'm only here to answer your questions. Whether you believe my answers is up to you."_

With that, Eurydice turned around and made her way through the school, attempting to familiarize herself in the new environment. Tyr and Hildr looked at each other, mentally communicating on what to do.

" _Should we go tell the others?"_ , Tyr asked.

Hildr shrugged.

" _She'll probably run into them later. For now, though, we should take caution in what we do. Something tells me that there's a hidden agenda… "_

Tyr nodded.

" _However, we have more pressing matters at hand; mainly them"_

Loki appeared to have the upper advantage, butting the heads of the crows together in a three stooges fashion, but Hugin head-butted Loki in the stomach while his brother settled on the prankster's stomach, pecking at his monitor.

" _Maybe we should call Skadi?"_

" _I concur."_

(-)

" _Well then, if you need me, I'll be upstairs, outside of Mika-san and Yoichi-kun's classroom"_ , Skadi said after beating the birds and trickster into submission.

They waved goodbye to the Persona of their users' senpai and walked back into the classroom. Kaz stole a glance up to Tyr and wrote down a message to him.

"Everything alright out there?"

" _Yes, fortunately Skadi was able to stop the fighting; I never knew that fire could put out fire"_

After the lecture had ended, the bell rang for lunch. Kaz stood up and walked out into the hallways to see the crows and Loki on the ground, beaten to a pulp.

"The usual?"

" _Yep"_

" _I feel like Jon Snow dying in Game of Thrones… "_ , Hugin moaned

" _I want to get an ice-pack, but I'm afraid it'll remind me of the ice queen… "_ , Munin cried as he tried to pull himself out of the wall.

"*sigh* You guys actually kind of deserve this. You know that, right?", Daichi said as he stepped out to see the damage.

Johei brushed the shoulders of his shirt and groaned when he found freshly poked holes in them.

"Welp, looks like I gotta stop by the Junes on the way home. Loki, let's get going, I'm starved!"

Loki floated out of the crater he was in and followed Johei to the student store. Kazuhiko looked at his boxed lunch that he made the night before and looked around.

"Hm, I wonder who I should invite to have lunch with me… Maybe Nanako."

He turned to Nanako's desk to see her in really low spirits.

"Yeah, she looks like she needs cheering up."

He walked over to her desk and cleared his throat. Nanako slowly looked up at him.

"Hey, you were looking pretty down, so I thought I might as well share some of my lunch with you."

Tears were streaming down Nanako's face as she gladly accepted.

"Bestie… even though you're dating someone else, you still find time for me… "

"Huh? Sorry, what was that?"

"Uh, nothing! So, what did you make?"

(-)

"Wow! You really know how to make a killer katsudon!", Nanako exclaimed after they finished the food.

Kaz smiled and nodded in thanks.

"So, what's up? Anything going on with you lately?"

Nanako shrugged.

"Well, I'm just still getting used to the city life. Yesterday, I was hanging around at the mall to kill time and I found some awesome stuff on sale at the shopping center."

"I'm guessing it was something Loveline related", Kazuhiko muttered to himself, which Nanako promptly heard him and took out a paperback book to punish him.

After making her put down her copy of Sense and Sensibility, they continued on with their chatter until they got to the topic of her father.

"Dad's really busy around this time. He's working on a case regarding the recent suicides. It's just pretty scary. I hope he's okay… "

Kazuhiko then looked struggled, much to Nanako's curiosity.

"Are you okay?"

Kaz nodded.

 _Yeah, I'm fine. By the way, did I ever tell you that I'm kinda working on that particular case too?_ , he thought to himself.

"Well, he is a police officer, after all. He chooses to do this to make everyone safe. It's what I really admire about him."

Nanako smiled.

"Yeah, but I hope he still has time to come home… "

Kazuhiko started to sense more of a story behind his childhood friend. Perhaps there was something he never knew about Nanako that he didn't hear before…

"Dojima-san? May I have a word with you please?", a voice called from the classroom door.

They both turned around to see Minako in the doorway. Nanako nodded and got up.

"Sorry, I gotta go. Maybe we can talk more the next time we hang out, alright?"

Kaz smiled.

"Sure. I'd like that."

The two shared a smile before time seemed to stop. A tarot card appeared before Kaz's eyes as a voice called out to him.

 _I art Thou, Thou art I_

 _Thou hast established a new bond_

 _It shall be the Justice carried out for those who suffer from despair_

 _I present to thee the Justice Arcana_

The card disappeared from his sight and time began to go fluid once more. After blinking several times, Kaz realized that Nanako had already left to talk with his older sister.

"Well, at least I didn't make myself look like an idiot again."

" _Indeed, although you might want to avert your gaze"_ , Tyr told him.

"Hm?"

Kaz focused on his line of vision and noticed a girl who was glaring at him.

"Hey! Buddy! Eyes are up here!"

(-)

 _In the Hallway_

"I've already confirmed the situation; they're the current Persona users of this age", Minako told Nanako.

"Not only that, but they're involved with the string of suicides happening recently. Additionally, they access their shadow world through this."

Minako brought out a holographic card with a QR code on it. Nanako flipped it over a couple times.

"However, they denied the offer to becoming a part of SEES, so I'll report to Mitsuru once she comes back from her mission."

Nanako nodded.

"Then, what should I do?", she asked

"Should I try and get into their group and report back to you?"

Minako shook her head.

"No, it's too dangerous for you. Not only has Toyotama not materialized into a physical form, but you lack the Persona co-op training."

This shocked the young school girl; She came to Nuzoko with hopes to finally prove herself, but now it yielded no results?! She couldn't take this, there must be some way.

"Please, Minako-senpai! Just give me a chance to prove myself! I really need to get onto SEES!"

Minako gave her an apologetic sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Nanako-san, I'm sorry, but you know I can't do that. Giving you authorization could get you hurt or even killed. I already suffered losing one friend, but I'm not going to let another die if I can help it."

Nanako stood there for a few moments, not saying a single word. Then, Toyotama spoke up.

" _Minako-senpai, if I may, I believe that Nanako-nee is really strong already. Besides that, Kazuhiko-kun and Tyr-kun are just as inexperienced as we are. If we were to stay with them at all times we could be more tha-"_

She was suddenly cut off by Eurydice.

" _No, even if you were able to join their ranks, there is still the risk of you getting hurt without the proper treatment. And what if they found out you were affiliated with us? Minako-san and I already respected their agreement to stay out of their business, but if they think we sent you to spy on them, that would destroy any bonds you had with Kazuhiko. Besides, we still have to keep our promises to Narukami-san and Izanagi-kun."_

Nanako looked defeated and stared at the ground. Toyotama fell silent as well. Minako, having a feeling of pity, pulled her kouhai into a warm embrace.

"Don't worry, there will be other times. Just not now."

After seeing that Nanako returned the hug, Minako nodded and walked to the teacher's lounge.

"I'll be open after school if you still feel like talking", she called out.

Nanako nodded and walked over to the bathrooms. Checking around to see if anyone was around, she opened one of the stalls and pulled out something from her pocket.

"Mirror Dimension Navigator, huh? So this is how they get to their shadow world… "

Nanako turned over her shoulder.

"Toyotama, I'm sorry, but this is something that I have to do. I hope you understand."

Instead of receiving criticism, Nanako felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

" _Don't worry nee-san. This is something I need to do too. Let's hope for the best."_

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaaaaaaand we are BACK! Okay guys, you can put away the guns, I posted. HEY! Step away from that button! No, you know very well what that does! Jeez, why did I ever get a WMD button? Oh well, if you haven't realized it, I feel really guilty about not posting for a very long time. Although, I am glad to release this chapter the day that Persona Q2 is released in Japan! Also, just a quick shout-out to shinji257 who recently favorited this story! Happy super late Halloween and a little late Thanksgiving to everyone. Maybe I should all wish you guys a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year while I'm at it; I'm not sure if I'm able to get the next chapter sometime this year, but I sure as hell will try. Thank you all once again for everything you do for me. Also, I finished my college applications! Mentioned that I'm the author of this story, so technically you guys helped out with my college applications too. I feel as if I'm introducing a new character too soon, though, so I might hold off on Nanako joining the group for a little whi- hey! Stay away from that Armageddon button! I swear, I just buy the weirdest crap for Black Friday. Ooh! Speaking of games, break out the champagne for Red Dead Redemption 2! Now break out the guillotine for Fallout 76 and Darksiders 3. So many new games this year with a lot of successes and let-downs, but hopefully our favorite series will live on. Once more, please review as soon as you can, cause they are really important for the progression of this story. Apologies for my lacking of skill in my recent writings, but I was just getting used to writing nonfiction. Just give me a little time and I'll get back to it. But first, here is your omake.**_

* * *

 _Persona Q: An OLP Spinoff_

" _I can't go now… there is something I need to do here… "_

 **From dangstaBOI productions…**

 **And partially Atlus…**

The Investigation Team is shown gathering together.

"I can't say that I didn't miss you guys, but what gives?", Yosuke asks as the adult P3 cast joins them.

"Well, there is one specific reason", Mitsuru begins

"Or rather… one specific person… "

 ***BONK***

 **Okay, mostly Atlus…**

The Phantom Thieves are gathered in the P5 Velvet Room.

"You mean it's possible?", Akira asks Igor.

"It's possible to overcome the seal?"

Igor nods.

"Yes, indeed it is so. Thanks to Elizabeth's research, we may be able to save him. Or perhaps, even both of them. But you'll need some help… "

 **Comes the next title in the Persona: One Last Promise Chronicle…**

"Mm… what?"

Camera is shown through Kazuhiko's eyes. He looks around to see a room completely white. Then, in the distance.

"Who… are you… ?"

A boy is shown chained to a large door. He has blue hair and is listening to something on his headphones. The faint yet familiar tune can be heard.

 _I will burn my dread…_

"Took you long enough. Tell Minako-san I said hi."

 _ **Persona Q: The Fulfilled Promise**_

 _ **Coming sometime that I have no idea when…**_

* * *

 _ **Oh yeah, this might be a real sequel if I ever finish this story. Plus, heads up if you guys didn't know, I changed my display name from dangstaboy to dangstaBOI; I've spent way too much time looking up memes.**_


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Week Before Hell; Nanako Dojima Starring in: First Blood; Summer Break!

 _July 4, 2021; Thursday_

 _(After School)_

 _Mirror Dimension_

 **Nanako POV**

*BANG*

The shadow fell down the stairs after Nanako open fired on it. Thankfully, guns didn't have to reload in this strange world, but that didn't make anything easier. Usually, it took about half a clip to down one, but after the few times she was in here, she encountered a few that required a handful of magazines. Checking around, she ducked behind the corner and cleaned her handgun.

"Three whole days of training in here and no results; I wonder if there are some conditions that have to be met… "

" _There might be, Nanako-neesan"_ , Toyotama replied, her still being invisible.

" _Remember from all those case reports that we read back at HQ? Even your big bro and Aniki-san had to go through something to make it click."_

Nanako shook her head.

"That was just a coincidence; Big bro just had a power given to him, not one that he awakened in himself. Although summoning Izanagi no Okami was a part of himself… "

Frustration began to envelope her and she groaned when she saw her watch.

"I don't think we have enough time to keep training. Let's go back, Toyotama."

" _Okay Nanako-nee!"_

 _July 5, 2021; Friday_

 _(After School)_

 _Kyuto High; Library_

 **SPT POV**

"Please… no more… end my suffering already… "

"I can't go on… leave me here… "

" _It was an honor to serve you… Master… Daichi… "_

"Do we have to put up with them so much?", Yoichi asked as he pointed to Johei and Iselin.

Kazuhiko sighed as he closed the textbook.

"I guess we could take a short break."

"Alright!" Johei exclaimed as he leapt onto his feet, practically bursting with energy.

"Wow, he recovered quickly", Mikan said as she sipped her milk tea.

The trickster left a dust trail behind him as he ran to the store to buy some food. Everyone else decided to lay back and talk.

"So what should we do about our situation?", Yuriko asked.

Kaz took out the two envelopes that the Harbingers gave to them and laid it out on the table.

"The school picture and the class photo are all we have. We already know it has something to do with the month before I moved to Inaba, but that's where I start drawing a blank."

"Hey guys! I brought some snacks! Who wants the melon soda?"

Johei came back with a small bag of snack foods in his hand and set it down on the table.

"Ooh! Did you get any taiyaki?", Yuriko asked as she dug into the bag.

Johei immediately grabbed the bag from her.

"Hey, the fish is mine!"

"Says who?"

" _Now now, Johei, be a gentleman and let the graceful young lady have the snack"_ , Sieglinde told the upperclassman.

"Graceful young lady? You gotta take off the 'mom lens' 'cuz Yuriko's about as graceful as a hippo."

A vein started popping on Yuriko's head and she grabbed Johei's collar.

"Who're you calling hippo, scarecrow?!"

"Scarecrow? Where'd that come from?"

"You're so weak and you're so stupid that I'm willing to bet that your head is full of straw!"

The two continued to bicker as the rest of the group took the snacks.

"Should we stop them?", Daichi said as he munched.

" _They'll stop soon",_ Tyr said.

" _Any second now."_

The librarian narrowed her eyes at the bickering students and they immediately stopped. Johei sighed as he took his seat and dug into the bag.

"Wait a second, where is it?"

He turned to Yuriko, but she just shrugged. Then, they both turned to Daichi who had the tail-end of their treat sticking out of his mouth.

"Nooo! The last taiyaki they had!", Johei said as he pulled Daichi out of his seat.

Yuriko joined him while Daichi just stood like a ragdoll, still chewing on the desert.

"What? If you wanted it, you should have just taken it first; First come, first serve."

"But I bought it!"

"And I was going to eat it!"

Suddenly, a shadow crept up on them. They slowly turned their heads to face the student librarian who was glaring at them.

" _ **I believe I made myself clear on the first time"**_

The two cowered back into the wall and nodded.

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Apologies Saikoji-senpai!"

The upperclassman then calmly walked back to her desk while Yuriko and Johei went back to their respective seats, greatly traumatized. Kazuhiko then continued to look over the photos.

"Johei, do you know anything about our old classmates from Nuzoko Elementary?"

Johei shrugged as he opened a pack of meat gum. He tossed a stick into his mouth and chewed gingerly, wincing at the taste.

"Most of them moved somewhere else, but the ones that are still here probably don't remember more than what we already do. Geez, why did I buy this?"

" _ **Is that gum?!"**_

"Eek!"

"Nice going, Johei."

They were forced to leave the library shortly after, and Johei's further punishment was to scrape the gum off the bottom of the tables. Feeling sorry for his friend, Kaz stayed behind as well.

"You are not to leave until every table is spotless. Am I understood?"

"Yes", Johei groaned as he continued hacking at the gum with a chisel.

Kaz worked diligently alongside him until an idea popped into his head.

"Hey, Tyr, could you come over here real quick?"

Tyr knelt beside the table.

" _Yes? What is it?"_

"Let's try using that trick that Mika-senpai did during the field trip."

Tyr nodded and held his hands together.

" _ **Marakunda**_ "

"Hm? Hey, the gum just got softer!"

"Thanks."

In a matter of minutes, the boys were able to finish up the rest of the work, leaving a stunned librarian.

"So, can we go now?", Johei asked.

The student librarian blinked a few times before nodding.

"Yes, you may leave."

Johei bounced off while Kaz stayed behind to return his book.

"Hm? Ah yes, returned right on time as usual, Sukima-kun."

The girl took the book from him and entered in the book's code onto the computer. As she did that, a flyer caught Kaz's eye.

"Interested in joining the library staff? We could reserve a table for you if you join", she threw in.

Kaz scratched his chin.

"That does sound like a good idea… where can I see the finer details?"

The girl took out a flyer from the desk and handed it to him.

"And a registration sheet in case you want to sign up."

"Thank you, I'll consider it."

"Also, turn it into me when you complete it."

Kaz nodded.

"Will do, Saikoji-senpai", he said after noticing her nametag.

She waved goodbye to him as he left.

"Dude! Were you the one that did that?!", Johei asked as he put his friend into a headlock.

"Yeah, just a little something I wanted to test out after the hot springs incident."

Both boys shuddered at the thought until Loki jumped in.

" _Tyr! You gotta teach me how to do that! You don't know how long I've been waiting for something like this!"_

Tyr raised his eyebrow.

" _What are you going to use it for?"_

" _Uh, nothing really, I mean, you never know when we could get attacked outside the Mirror Dimension and could use a quick Garu, right?"_

"Tyr, don't tell him. He just learned _**Marin Karin**_."

" _Ah, I see what you mean now."_

" _Aw phooey, you're no fun."_

* * *

 _July 6, 2021; Saturday_

 _(Afterschool)_

 _Culture Club Room_

"Alright everyone, gather around! The Drama club is going to be putting on a play of Izutsu for the Culture festival in November and they want us to help with the costumes and props!", Maeko told the entire club.

She walked over towards some members, reading out their jobs while Kaz chatted with Natsuko.

"Natsuko-chan, you seem pretty excited for this", he said.

Natsuko nodded happily.

"This was one of my favorite plays as a child! I hope I have time to see it on the Culture Festival."

Kazuhiko smiled as he scratched the back of his head.

" _Too bad this is the last day for clubs this semester. If we had more time, we could have worked on the costumes today."_ , Tyr pondered.

"Alright Kaz, Natsuko; You guys will be working on the backdrop of the play. After break, we should have the paints that we ordered and the wooden beams to hold up the canvas."

Both students nodded as Maeko walked the next group. Natsuko still appeared to be in her own euphoric state, her hands clasped together as her eyes sparkled. Kaz stared at her and couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle.

"The only possible way for her to be any cuter right now was if she turned chibi."

Suddenly, Natsuko popped back into existence and looked at him.

"Is there something wrong, Kaz-senpai?"

Kaz waved his hand and shook his head.

"That'll be all for the semester. I'll see you all in September!", Maeko said as she set her clipboard down.

They all took their time, filing out of the classroom until Kaz, Natsuko, and a few other classmates were left, Maeko included. Natsuko was busy looking over some designs that she was planning for the backdrop while Kaz finished up the order sheets for the paints.

" _Why would the paints take so long to be delivered?"_ , Tyr asked with earnest curiosity.

"They're just going to arrive once vacation starts, but the school will be closed, so we'll have access to them after break."

"Ooh! Hey Kaz-senpai! I've decided on the scenery we can do! I've got all the plans drawn out!"

Kaz took a look at Natsuko's drawings and whistled.

"Wow, you're really good at this kind of thing, aren't you?"

Natsuko nodded happily.

"I'll be counting on you to help me with this!"

Kaz nodded.

"So am I. Let's do a great job together!"

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **The High Priestess Social Link Lv 3!**_

* * *

 _July 7, 2021; Sunday_

 _Public Gymnasium_

 _(Daytime)_

 _Mikan Echihiro's Social Link_

"Thanks for hanging out with me, Kaz!", Mikan said as she got out of the locker room.

Kaz nodded.

"So, why exactly did you want to go to the gym?"

Mikan pointed over to the boxing bags.

"I decided that I want to try protecting myself for a change. Maybe if I practice self-defense, then I won't be harassed!"

Kaz nodded.

"Well, I can kind of see your point there. Let's get to it!"

He walked over to the punching bags and put on some gloves until he noticed that Mikan wasn't there with him.

"Hey Kaz!", he heard her yell.

Turning around, he noticed her in the ring with some headgear and gloves on.

" _I suddenly have a bad feeling about this… "_ , Tyr muttered.

"Yeah, same here", Kaz gulped.

 _An hour later…_

"Alright! Let's take a break!", she finally said.

Kaz flopped onto his back once she finished speaking and crawled to his water bottle. For a girl of a smaller build, Mikan sure did deal out some heavy punches.

"I might have to apologize to Johei for all the times I put him in senpai's crosshairs… ", Kaz muttered.

Tyr, on the other hand, went to talk to Mikan and Skadi.

" _So how do you think you did?"_ , he asked them.

" _Mikan seems to have an affinity to this type of combat, but it could use a little more fine-tuning. All-in-all, it's effective for self defense."_ , Skadi replied.

Mikan nodded.

"Yep! It feels like second nature! Maybe I'm just naturally talented with this"

Several images of Johei getting punched by Mikan flashed into Tyr's eyes, causing him to shiver.

" _Maybe it's because you've had a lot of practice… "_

"Huh?"

" _Never mind"_

Kaz finished chugging his water and got back onto his feet.

"Okay, maybe for Round 2 we could go a little easier?", he suggested.

Mikan saw the bent-up shape that Kaz was in and laughed uncomfortably while scratching the back of her head.

"Oh yeah, heh heh. Sorry."

The two got back into their stances and continued sparing for another two hours before calling it a night. They both walked out with their bags and continued chatting.

"Man, that was really fulfilling! I feel like I could take on the world now!"

Kaz chuckled to himself.

"Well, if the world consisted of people like Johei, I wouldn't be surprised if she did and won", he thought to himself.

"Thanks again for coming with me, Kaz. I really felt that I couldn't have gotten this far without your support."

She gave him a sideways smile before diverging onto the path that took her home.

"Later!", she said as she waved goodbye.

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **The Empress Social Link Lv 3!**_

* * *

 _July 8, 2021; Monday_

 _Mirror Dimension_

 _(After School)_

 _ **Nanako POV**_

"Fwah!"

Nanako flopped onto an arm chair in one of the safe rooms found in this strange tower. The Sheer amount of training that she did was ridiculous.

"Honestly, I should be studying with finals just around the corner… ", she muttered, sipping a Cielo Mist that she brought with her.

Then again, it wasn't like she had to study; She knew the curriculum inside-out and would probably just need an hour to refresh herself.

" _Nanako-nee! I hear someone coming!"_ , Toyotama suddenly alerted to her user.

She spat out a little bit of her drink and turned to the exit door. Sure enough, there were voices just outside.

"Crap!", she whispered to herself and made her way back into the tower hallways until she heard two voices.

"So what do we have to get again?", an annoyed voice asked. It sounded like a female to Nanako's ears.

"So far, we need a few cans of Crush, half a dozen vanish beads and goho-m's, and four Revival Beads", another voice answered; This time, it was a boy.

"Huh? Why do those voices sound familiar?"

Before she knew it, she was hiding behind the couch, waiting to eavesdrop on their conversation. She could hear the door opening and a few footsteps.

"Let's take some of these materials back, we could probably sell them for something later", the male voice said.

The sound of several trinkets hitting each other was heard.

" _Sir! We have found several missing items in the storage!"_ , a voice called out.

" _Indeed! We may have a European blond girl on our hands!"_

"What the hell?", Nanako thought to herself.

"Guys, what the heck are you talking about?"

" _You know very well who we mean, Sir!"_

" _The girl who robbed that family of bears! They must be avenged!"_

" _That's just a fictional story, you stupid crows!"_

" _Crows?"_ , Toyotama quietly asked Nanako.

"Wait a second, could it be them?"

While the two pondering their own thoughts, some more ruffling could be heard.

"Wait a second, they're right! There are a few missing things here", the female voice remarked.

Nanako cursed herself. She had always meant to replace those items that she 'borrowed', but never really got around to doing so. Either way, this could cause some problems.

" _Yes, and somebody's been eating my porridge!"_ , one of the (presumed) crows spoke.

" _And somebody's been sleeping in my bed!"_

" _Will you two stop your shenanigans?! That's not even the right order!"_

" _But it's the only way it could be in order!"_

"What do you guys mean?", the male voice asked in annoyance.

" _It's supposed to end with, she's still here!"_

" _And she's still here behind the couch!"_

Nanako quickly looked above her, coming eye-to-eye with a white-eyed crow. She fumbled for her pistol before hearing a tired sigh.

" _How many times do we have to tell you? SHUT! UP!"_

" _But she's really here!"_ , the crow exclaimed, flapping its wings.

"Come on, Munin, we don't have all day."

The crow named Munin sighed and leapt off its perch. The door began to swing open, and Nanako finally made her decision.

"Alright! Hands where I can see them!", she yelled as she drew her pistol.

A surprised looking Iselin and Daichi turned around, fumbling for their weapons. Their respective Persona leapt in front of them to protect from any oncoming attack.

"Nanako-san? What are you doing here?"

"I-I could ask you two the same thing!"

" _I told you, there was a girl there!"_ , Munin shouted.

" _For the Bear Family!"_ , the white crow shouted as he and the black crow flew towards her.

"Wait, guys, stop!"

Nanako then proceeded to unload an entire clip on the white crow.

" _Brother! Noooooooo!"_ , the black crow screamed.

It rushed to his brother's side, picking him up.

" _Whatever you do, brother, don't go into the light!"_

The white crow coughed.

" _I'm sorry my brother… I couldn't keep that promise with you… "_

"You do realize these are rubber bullets, right?", Nanako asked.

The white crow stopped coughing and looked at itself, just noticing that there were only a few bruises on its body.

" _Oh… CHARGE!"_

Sighing, Nanako pulled out a second pistol and unloaded the clips of both guns on the attacking crows.

" _Owowowowowowowowow!"_ , they both cried.

" _R-retreat!"_

They hid behind the couch as Nanako finished reloading while Toyotama was cheering in the back.

" _Don't underestimate Nanako-nee!"_

Daichi's eyes looked around the room.

"Who's there?", he asked, brandishing his rapier.

" _Oh, I'm right here. Sorry, but I'm invisible."_

Daichi had a confused look on his face. Iselin, on the other hand, jumped in front of Daichi.

"Noooooooo! Oof!"

Nanako stared at her classmate as she just laid down on the floor.

"Like I said before; Rubber Bullets! Non-lethal!"

Once the entire situation was under control, Nanako explained everything to them.

"Alright then, I think I have the gist of it", Iselin said.

"Now while we're on the subject of Persona… ", Daichi started.

"Could you please stop holding mine at gunpoint?"

Nanako lowered her pistol but kept a trained eye on the crow brothers.

"Well, now that everything's out of the way, you two have to help me."

" _Wait a second, why do we have to help you? If anything, you owe us for the stuff that you took!"_ , Hildr exclaimed.

" _Yeah! And you even snuck into this place without conse-"_ , Hugin started.

*CLICK*

Nanako pulled out her pistol and pointed it at the crow.

" _Um, never mind… *GULP*"_

"The thing is, even though I was ordered not to intervene, I still want to help you guys. I have the potential, so please help me get my Persona!"

" _Yeah! I'm tired of being non-existent except for my voice and vision."_

Despite not being able to see her, everyone in the room could sense that Toyotama was sulking.

"Alright, alright, we'll help you", Daichi said.

"EH?!", Iselin exclaimed.

"But why?! I mean, she is a good friend and all, but this is just getting her into more danger!"

"Because it's what we did for everybody. Besides, she'll just keep coming back here, regardless of what we do and maybe get herself killed."

Daichi looked up and crossed his arms.

"We agree to help you."

Nanako smiled.

"Thanks! Also, one last thing. Could you not tell anyone else in your group? Especially Kazuhiko or Arisato-sensei.; I don't want them worrying."

Daichi sighed again and nodded.

"Alright, we promise."

Nanako smiled, then bowed as she excused herself from the room. Meanwhile, Iselin and Daichi were alone by themselves, besides their Persona who were bickering again.

"Do you think we can keep this a secret from the others?", Iselin asked.

Daichi shrugged.

"I personally have no idea. Yoichi might find out with his scan ability, and Kazuhiko might discover it because, well, it's Kaz."

Iselin nodded.

"For now, I guess we're going to have to train her."

"Yeah, let's get out of here and report back to Kaz. Want to go grab a bite to eat?", Daichi asked.

"Sure."

* * *

 _July 15, 2021; Monday_

 _Kyuto High_

 _(Morning)_

 _ **Kazuhiko POV**_

The sound of pencils scratching on paper and the ticking of the clock was the only thing that could be heard. Kaz, however, was taking a nap, having finished his exam early.

"Man, I really over studied", he muttered to himself.

" _Well, you know the old saying: Better safe than sorry"_ , Tyr told him.

In the table next to him, Johei was furiously scribbling down answers.

"Alright, this goes here, and that goes there… "

" _You got number 16 wrong"_ , Loki told him.

"Did I?! I was sure I got that one right!"

" _You did. I was just messing with you. Geez, it's no fun doing nothing while you have to take a test."_

" _Please be quiet! Iselin-san is trying to concentrate!"_ , Hildr told the prankster.

" _Wow, that's a first."_

Yuriko stifled a laugh as she looked over her previous answers. Nanako set down her paper and yawned.

"Man, that took longer than I expected"

Daichi was the next to finish and put his paper face-down on the ground.

" _Master Daichi, please tell me it's almost over."_

" _This is beyond any kind of torture possible"_

"Will you two shut up? Why don't you guys go fly around the school or something? Or pester the other Persona?"

" _I'll take them off your hands"_ , Tyr said as he ushered the crows out of the classroom.

" _Are we doing something? Can I join? I'm bored too"_ , Loki said as he followed them out of the classroom.

A relieved Johei went back to his paper while Sieglinde and Hildr joined everyone outside. Meanwhile, Nanako sneaked a peek over to Kazuhiko who was already asleep.

"Geez, no wonder I fell for him. He looks so cute when he's sleeping."

Suddenly, a cough resounded from the front of the classroom. Nanako looked up and saw Minako cover a mocking smile. Turning bright red, Nanako face-planted into her desk, swearing not to see the light of day until the school day ended.

* * *

 _July 20, 2021; Saturday_

 _Kyuto High_

 _(Morning)_

"I can see the light… "

"Come on, Johei, it's not that bad", Kaz said, consoling his friend after they finished their history test.

Iselin was in a similar state, having her soul exiting from her mouth. Yuriko quickly caught it before it could vanish.

"Don't worry, Iselin-senpai! I've got your soul!"

Yuriko was happily skipping around.

"I compared my answers with everybody! I definitely got to the top 15 this time!"

"Good for you… ", Johei said as he shook off his somber attitude.

Mikan and Yoichi walked into the classroom chatting with each other, until they saw the damage that was done; Iselin's and Johei's damage, to be more specific.

"That bad?", Yoichi asked.

"They're just exaggerating", Daichi told them with a wave of his hand.

Yoichi sat down at one of the nearby seats and let out a deep breath.

"We just finished our tests as well. You guys wanna go somewhere to celebrate the beginning of break?"

*FWOOSH*

Johei had somehow changed into a beach attire, sporting a hawaiian shirt, straw hat, swimming shorts, and a pool tube. The same went for Iselin with her signature floppy hat and a fruit cocktail drink.

"They recovered fast", Mikan said as she picked up her bag.

Kazuhiko turned to his childhood friend.

"Hey, Nanako, wanna come along?", Kaz asked.

Nanako nodded and packed up her things.  
"Sure! Just give me a second."

As the group walked out of the classroom, Nanako was stopped by Minako in the hallways.

"Well well well, what do we have here?", Minako asked.

"Eep! Minako-senpai!"

Minako patted her subordinate on the back.

"You've fallen quite hard for one of the top bachelors of Kyuto, haven't you?"

Nanako shifted uncomfortably as Minako laughed.

"Don't worry, he's not in any hurry to get into a relationship, so take your time. It's Summer Vacation! Not only that, but you're still in your youth! Enjoy it while you have time!"

With that, Minako went back to the teachers' lounge, leaving Nanako by herself.

" _Nanako-nee, maybe we should take a break from all this Shadow hunting. At least, maybe a few days."_ , Toyotama suggested.

Nanako smiled.

"Yeah, besides, like Minako-senpai said, it's Summer. We've got more than enough time."

* * *

 _ **DangstaBOI: Aaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Whatever you guys celebrate! And also a Happy New Year! The very first chapter of the year and- HAAAAUGH! ImsorryImsorryImsorryImsorryImsorry Please don't hurt me!**_

 _ **Hokano Dangsta: Well, you kind of deserve it.**_

 _ **DangstaBOI: Wait, who are you?**_

 _ **Hokano Dangsta: I'm the other you. Or at least a part of you. I'm just here to correct you.**_

 _ **DangstaBOI: Okay then? Well, I was pretty busy for the first two weeks of my bre-**_

 _ **Hokano Dangsta: That's wrong. The first week was the only time you were busy. The second week, you were reading manga and watching anime all the time.**_

 _ **DangstaBOI: Hold on! That's not true! Please stop pointing your guns at me! (dashes off)**_

 _ **Hokano: You there? No? Okay, guess I'll take care of the rest of this author's note then. The story is going okay, all with Nanako getting serious in her training and summer vacation starting. Thanks for FanQuiet1991 for following us on this story. Blah blah blah. Oh, and I'm here to stay, so this isn't a chapter exclusive. Enjoy the omake, I guess.**_

* * *

 _Fun with the Fans_

DangstaBOI: Finally, I've finished building it!

*BAM*

Johei: Oh, hey Dangsta! We just wanted to spend time over here for a change. Sorry about the mess.

DangstaBOI: … Sure… go right ahead…

Kaz: Oh, you guys want to check some stuff out on the computer?

Iselin: Alright! Let's have a go!

 _(Iselin logs in and starts surfing)_

Nanako: Ooh! Hey look, it's me!

 _(Everyone looks at an image of a teenage Nanako)_

Johei: Isn't that fanart from when you were in Persona 4?

Nanako: Yup! Say, why don't we look for fanart about ourselves?

Daichi: I'm game. Let's see what we got.

 _Several minutes later…_

*TWITCH* *TWITCH*

 _(Everyone is in shock of what they find)_

Johei: Um, well we should have expected this. If it exists…

Mikan: This kind of thing is just terrible! I would never do something like that!

Daichi: We have definitely crossed a line that was not meant to be crossed…

Yoichi: I, I think I'm gonna be sick… HUGH!

Iselin: Eh, not the best I've seen, but, then again, not the worst.

Yuriko: Embarrassingly enough, I think I've done this a few times…

Nanako: I can't believe they would do this kind of thing… especially with m-m-me and… K-Kazuhiko…

Kazuhiko:...

DangstaBOI: Oh, hey guys. Whatcha looking at? Whoa! There's already cosplay based on my story?!

* * *

 _ **DangstaBOI: Yup! It was cosplay! Although there actually isn't anyone cosplaying my characters because they have no idea what they look like. What? What were you guys thinking it was? Damn perverts**_

 _ **Hokano: Yes, we made it specifically to juke you guys. Also, no lewding anything! Something are meant to stay pure!**_


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Preparations; Nanako's Boot Camp; Mission: Date; Grave Digger

 _ **Important Author's Note: Okay, dangstaBOI here. I know you're not used to me writing at the beginning of the chapter, but I just want to let you guys know that social links will be maxed out at Lv 5 for the sake of saving pages and making the main focus the story. If some characters are requested to have all 10 Lv Social links, I will create an alternative story marking that social link on Fanfiction or some other website, but the main points will be highlighted in this story. Okay, that's all I had to say. I'll shut up now.**_

* * *

 _July 20, 2021; Saturday_

 _Nuzoko Mall Center_

 _(Afternoon)_

"Man, I'm so excited! What should we do over the break? Something big?"

Johei kept on blabbing while Kaz stayed a ways back.

"Why decide right now? We still have a lot of time. Not to mention the homework assignme-"

"Don't you dare utter a word about those!", Iselin shouted at Kaz as she covered his mouth.

"I want to at least go through the gist of my vacation until the last month to worry about that."

Kaz shrugged and Iselin took her hand off. Daichi, meanwhile, decided to look over at the sales section.

"A lot of swimming stuff is on sale right now, plus some kimonos… maybe I should get one for the festival… "

Yoichi's ears perked up at the mere mention of festivals.

"Ah, the summer festival's always a good time. Let's take note of that too!"

Nanako and Mikan nodded along with each other, while Yuriko mused the idea.

"A summer festival with everyone… hot damn! Just thinking of all those hot girls in cute yukatas is making my blood boil!"

This earned a few questioning looks from passerbyers, but the pinkette didn't seem to care. Johei shrugged at the thought.

"I guess, yukatas do look nice, but isn't it defeating the purpose if you're looking at them as a mature act than a youthful one?"

"Eh, who cares when the girls are showing off their curves?"

"Good point, good point"

"Perverts", Mikan said as she walked past him.

"Oh, that reminds me, will you be wearing a yukata, Yuriko?"

Yuriko froze in her tracks.

"U-um, well… I haven't wore one for some time… "

Suddenly, she bumped into Kaz on accident.

"Huh? What's up?"

Kaz stood there as still as a statue, not moving a muscle. Nanako waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hey! Bestie, what's u- oh for the love of… "

He wouldn't deny the fact that what he was doing was ludicrous, but he would make them understand the power of such a thing that was on the rack. It was absolutely fantastic; the sheer slick black beauty and it's strength had been the stuff of dreams for him as a child, and now it was realized as he matured. Without a moment's hesitation, he marched up to the item and beheld it in his arms.

"This… this is crafted to the absolute perfection of its kind! The dreams of man are imbued within every fiber of its being!"

"Dude, it's a fishing pole"

Kaz snapped out of his trance and set the rod down on the rack. Mikan cast a worried glance to Nanako.

"Has he always been like this about fishing?"

"As far as I know, he went fishing at least twice a week, rain or shine. Big bro was one of the reasons why he's so infatuated with it."

"A-anyways!", Kaz interrupted

"The summer festival is a ways off, so how about we worry about things coming this month?"

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged.

"There really isn't anything worth doing around now, so we're all kind of free."

Kaz sighed and checked his phone.

"Nothing going on? Guess we'll just have to hang out with each other until they do roll around, huh?"

The group went their separate ways in search of items that they would need, but few of them stuck together. Kazuhiko, however, went off on his own.

" _A fishing kit would be quite ideal if there was a place to go fishing"_ , Tyr offered.

" _Perhaps we could take the train to a nearby pond? We are near the outskirts of the city, after all."_

Kaz shrugged.

"I'll look into the subway map just to make sure. For now, let's try to see if any of these things will help our escapades. Ooh, new costumes for sale."

* * *

 _Somewhere else…_

"Man, shopping together on the first day of vacation really beats anything", Iselin said.

Daichi grunted as he compared two different shirts. Over the past few days, he noticed that his clothes had taken some damage when they went training in the Mirror Dimension. Fortunately, the recent summer sale for clothing appeased his need for clothing and the weight of his wallet.

"I just hope that there will always be a sale for clothing if things keep up as it does for me."

" _Nanako-nee, this yukata looks like it could fit you!"_ , Toyotama exclaimed.

Nanako eyed the garb and pressed it against herself.

"This could work… guess I got yukata shopping out of the way for now."

HIldr scratched her chin.

" _Perhaps we should go looking for yukata now too, Iselin-san."_

Iselin nodded and turned towards a stand that was showing off a light blue yukata.

"Ooh, this looks nice", she said. Then, she looked at the tag.

"Now this, not so much."

Daichi looked over her shoulder and shrugged.

"I'll buy it for you if you want. I just got a raise at my job, anyways."

Iselin looked shocked.

"Wait, really?! Why would you buy this for me?!"

"Why not? You'd look good in it."

Iselin slowly registered what Daichi said and turned around, clasping her hands on her burning cheeks.

"I… I never thought that you would".

"Is what Kitagawa-senpai told me. He pulled me aside during our trip to Tokyo and asked me to send a picture of this so he could paint the scenery."

Iselin deadpanned, then grabbed his cheek.

"Wha- OW! What the hell?!"

Looked over her shoulder and shook her head.

"Why can't he see what's right in front of him? There's no way he could be this dense."

" _I've lost count so many times on how he's been like this"_ , Hildr said to them.

" _What are you talking about?"_ , Hugin asked.

" _I thought human beings were usually 985 kg/m^3"_ , Munin cawed.

" _... You know this much yet you can't understand the situation unfolding before us?"_

* * *

 _Somewhere else… else…_

"Why did I have to get stuck with you?", Johei complained as he pushed a cart full of items and clothes.

"I could say the same thing. Why couldn't I have stuck with Kaz-senpai or one of the girls instead of an egghead pervert like you?", Yuriko shot back at him.

" _Like you're one to talk"_ , Loki mumbled.

Yuriko looked at a swimsuit and pressed it up against her.

"Hm, maybe… maybe."

Johei shook his head.

"It's depressing to see that you're considering that. You want to catch a guy's eye, you need something that brings out the tone of your body."

Yuriko turned to him

"Oh really? I guess I need some male insight on this kinda thing?"

"Of course you do", Johei said as he walked off to look for something more of her size.

" _Well, I think he might be right. You haven't exactly been gearing up for guys for some time"_ , Sieglinde told her.

Yuriko sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Huh, maybe he might be a real help to me after all."

"I'm back", Johei said.

"Great! Let's see what you- WHAT?!"

Johei was holding a toddler's size swimsuit in his hands, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"See? It fits everything! Even your forever-flat chest!"

" _On second thought, you might be better off shopping on your own"_

"Or beating the crap outta him again."

* * *

… _Just how big is this place?_

Mikan was eyeing the large coolers on sale while Yoichi picked out some umbrellas and sunscreen on sale.

"Hey, do you think SPF 50 is good enough for Daichi-kun? I remember you guys saying that he slathered bottles of suntan lotion the last time you went to the beach."

"It's alright, I'm pretty sure he'll stockade later", Mikan said.

"For now, though, should we get a portable stove to cook our food or try our luck at making a fire at the beach?"

"If we're trying to make a fire, we should get some firewood from home. I'd say it's better to make the fire ourselves in the long run"

Mikan nodded and picked up a reasonably sized cooler.

"God, I feel like we're the parents of this group; everyone else is having fun while we have to shoulder the most responsibility."

Yoichi nodded.

"Then again, we are their senpai, at least in this world."

Mikan chuckled.

"Wouldn't it be weird if we were actually a big family?"

Yoichi turned to see Johei being chased around by Yuriko, Nanako trying to break up Iselin and Daichi, and Kaz checking out winter outfits for some reason.

"Yeah, Johei and Yuriko are the youngest two that constantly fight, Daichi and Iselin are the oldest two, Nanako's the peacemaker, Kaz's the smart but aloof one, you're the mom and I'm the da-"

Yoichi paused for a moment, then realized what he was about to say. Mikan just looked confused.

"Huh? You stopped for a second. What's wrong? You said that I was the mom and you were the da-"

The fire alarm was pulled when a passerby saw steam rising from a sector.

* * *

 _Afterwards…_

"Okay then, let's try to meet up tomorrow to get some plans together. Sound good?", Kaz asked everyone.

They all nodded but didn't seem to have any heart in it. For one, the two eldest had just made a fire in a department building, and two, the others were pissed off at each other.

"Or we could just take a few days to relax. Whatever's fine."

They began their separate ways until the only ones left were Iselin, Daichi, and Nanako.

"Jeez, what made you act like that anyways? I'm outta here… "

"Wait! Hold on!"

Nanako grabbed the back of Daichi's shirt and stopped him from leaving.

"I want to try training in there again today. I'll need you two to come with me."

Iselin tried slipping away in the confusion, but Nanako grabbed her collar as well.

"BOTH of you."

She dragged the two of them to the mirror, Iselin crying silently.

"A lot of scary women like Kaz, huh Daichi?"

Daichi looked somber and didn't say a word, as if accepting his fate.

" _Master Daichi! Answer us!"_

" _Can you hear us? Master?! MAAAAAAAAASTEEEER!"_

* * *

 _ **Kazuhiko's POV**_

Kaz was walking down the street breathing in the atmosphere. Some thoughts were bothering him, mostly concerning his teacher, the organization she belonged to, and why he felt strange, or rather stranger, around Nanako.

"Why does this all seem to happen at once? Could there be something bigger at play here? And how are we supposed to find the Harbingers if Johei and I can't remember a single thing about that last month?"

Tyr shrugged and shook his head.

" _I'm not sure how this is supposed to play out. Maybe something painful happened that you didn't want to remember or something forced you to forget… "_

Kaz suddenly turned to Tyr.

" _Hm? Did I say something strange?"_

Kaz scratched his chin.

"What you just said now… maybe that might be… but is it even humanly possible… no, the supernatural's already involved so there's definitely a chance… "

" _What are you whispering to yourself?"_

"Nothing really, just the beginnings of a theory that might explain for why I don't remember anything. I'll tell you when I have enough evidence and when everyone's gathered together."

Tyr made somewhat of a pout while Kaz ignored him and continued walking back to the hotel.

" _Come on, Kazuhiko. Why won't you tell me? I'm practically you, so wouldn't you trust me?"_

"... Since you're technically me, wouldn't you know what I was thinking about?", Kazuhiko asked out of curiosity.

" _... no, not like that."_

"Whatever, you'll just have to wait like everyone else."

Tyr sighed and gave up while they opened the doors.

* * *

 _Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 22_

"Alright, Nanako-san, finish it!"

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*

The Magician's Hand shadow fell on the ground after being peppered with holes and melted into a gooey paste that dissipated. The team had decided to rest for a quick ten minutes before continuing. The Persona users of the group had been holding together quite well on their own. Nanako, however, seemed more fatigued than frustrated at her personal progress.

"*huff* that was pretty tough… ", she said while fumbling to pull the cap off a water bottle.

"It was a common shadow on this floor. Seriously, I think that this training isn't going very far in terms of getting a Persona", Iselin muttered.

Nanako gulped down some more water and slapped the cap back on.

"Toyotama is already a Persona, she just needs to manifest into a physical form."

" _Really? I thought you said she was invisible."_ , Hugin questioned.

" _No, I don't have a physical form. All I have is my voice and vision, nothing else."_

" _What if I do this?"_ , Munin asked as he flew towards the direction of Toyotama's voice.

*BAM*

Munin crashed headfirst into the wall. Toyotama sighed as she continued.

" _I just told you I don't have a physical form. Flying to my voice won't do any-"_

" _How about this?"_

*CRASH*

Hugin flew straight into the ground approximately where Toyotama's voice would have been.

" _Don't try to explain it to them. They're idiots"_ , Hildr explained in a worn out voice.

Daichi leaned on his sword and sighed.

"I feel as if Iselin might have a point about this, Nanako-san. When we got our Persona, it was when we overcame a large mental obstacle within ourselves. Why don't we start this from the beginning and wonder why Toyotama exists as a voice and mind, but not as a physical being."

Nanako put her hand to her chin and thought about it.

"Well, if I had to guess, it was when I was still recovering at the hospital… "

 _Flashback_

"I wonder when Big Bro's gonna be back. He and Iza- Izzy- Izinaga-, his friend will be back."

" _I hope they come back soon"_ , a random voice said.

" _It was nice when they brought in Yukiko-nee and Amy-chan with them. They were really nice to you!"_

Nanako nodded but then paused.

"Who said that?"

There was several moments of silence after Nanako spoke.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

" _I don't know… "_

"You don't know your name? That's sad. Can you come out?"

More silence. This time, however, it wasn't the nervous kind. Nanako looked around the frame of her bed but saw nothing.

"I'm sorry, but I can't see you."

" _I-I'm sorry, but I think it's because I'm invisible."_

Now, this perplexed the young girl even more.

"In… visible? Why are you invisible?"

" _I don't know… I'm not sure."_

"Maybe because you don't want to be seen? Are you shy?"

" _... Yes… a little."_

Nanako pressed her index finger on her lip.

"How about I give you a name? You're a nice person and you deserve a name."

She thought for a moment before coming up with one.

"How about… Toyotama?"

" _Huh?"_

"You know, the lady from the story that Big Bro read to me… well, us. She was a really pretty lady, but she didn't want to be seen when she was having a child."

" _W-what?! I don't have a child!"_

Nanako giggled.

"She was still pretty shy though. But do you not want to be called that?"

" _... no, I think Toyotama is a very nice name. Thank you, Nanako-chan."_

"You're welcome, Toyotama-chan!"

 _Flashback End_

"And that's what I've been calling her ever since. We still have been trying to find her name while trekking through here", Nanako concluded.

Daichi let out a deep sigh, taking in the essence of the tale.

"Well, now I know what the problem is."

"You do?"

He nodded and continued.

"You're focusing too much on the physical aspect, which I am sure you are more than capable of. What you need is to search for something inside of yourself that you still feel despair about. Maybe something like a childhood trauma or along those lines."

"Childhood trauma… hm… "

*rattle* *rattle*

"Huh? What was that?"

Nanako turned to Iselin and Daichi, both having looks of utter terror in their eyes.

"That was our cue to leave. Haul ass like your life depends on it!", Iselin yelled as she made a mad dash for the stairs.

Daichi followed in suite while Hildr was dragging the crow brothers by the scruffs of their necks.

" _Unhand us!"_

" _We must have our revenge on that menace!"_

" _You guys were the ones to attack it in the first place!"_

Nanako looked confused.

"Um, what's going on?"

" _N-N-Nanako-nee… look behind you… "_

Nanako noticed a shadow forming on the ground in front of her. Reluctantly, she looked up and came face to face with the most dreaded shadow known to all of Persona-kind.

" _ **... Boo"**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

As Nanako left a trail of dust behind in her wake, the Reaper chuckled to itself as it took off its mask.

"Ah, that is never gonna get old", Tatsuya said to himself.

 _ **Okay, that's not what actually happened, but it's just that the connection between Tatsuya and the Reaper was too good to pass up.**_

"And that is why we never stay too long on one floor or in Niflheim ever"

"Understood", Nanako said as they all left the tower.

* * *

 _July 21, 2021; Sunday_

 _Kazuhiko POV_

 _City Square Park_

"Let's go, Kaz-senpai!"

Kaz was currently being dragged around by his hyperactive, pink-haired kouhai towards a food stand. After paying for a batch of dango, the two sat down on a bench to enjoy their sweets. Yuriko, who would have usually been able to finish off an entire order herself, shared with Kaz because of the atmosphere.

 _The night before…_

"Okay, so when we have an odd number of sweets, I'll be like, 'Oh, looks like we'll have to share this one'. I'll take the first couple and pass him the rest. It'll be like an indirect kiss!"

 _Back to the present_

"Oh, looks like we'll have to share this one", Yuriko said as soon as she noticed there was only one skewer left.

Kaz gave her a confused look.

"What are you talking about? I ordered six so we could have three each."

Yuriko then began to sweat, having a wrench thrown into her plans.

"Oh! Uh, right!"

She took the skewer, happy to have some more food, but depressed because of her failed attempt.

"So Yuriko, how have you been coping with everything?"

"Hm? Whaddya mean?"

"I mean about Soratsu-san."

Yuriko flicked the skewer into a nearby trashcan and sighed.

"I honestly don't know. I mean, Soratsu has an excuse to hate me, and he has every right to do so, but lately, we haven't even talked."

"Nowadays, I just feel like I'm faced with a problem I should address, but I never have the courage to follow through."

She laid back, staring at the bright summer sky.

"I know it's not an excuse, but everything just seems to be a bigger priority than my own personal problems."

"Then what about Soratsu's problems? As far as I know, he suffered a lot too. We may have saved him from committing suicide, but having your horrible acts realized does do a number on you", Kaz pointed out.

Yuriko hung her head and closed her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I should try talking to him soon."

She stood up and stretched.

"Well, that's all I wanted to talk to you today. Later, Kaz-senpai!"

"See ya."

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **Lovers Arcana Lv. 3**_

* * *

 _Cemetery; Office_

 _(Evening)_

"Any reason to why you called me here?", Kaz asked.

It was kind of late, and Kaz felt like turning in for the night, but Shirou just had to give him a call asking to meet.

"Yeah, kind of a big one. And I'm not talking about kids breaking in again, I've already taken care of that."

"How did you do that?"

"... "

 _In the front of the Graveyard…_

"So, who should we visit this time?"

"Hey, what's the sign say?"

 _ **Intruders shall be shot by the angry monk who lives here.**_

"H-he's gotta be kidding, right?"

*BLAM*

A burst of light and a spray of what seemed to be bullets whizzed into a nearby sign, causing it to fall to pieces.

"RUN!"

 _Back at the Office…_

"Never mind, I don't want to know."

Shirou took the kettle and poured two cups of tea.

"Go ahead and take a seat, kid. I just feel like I should do some explainin' about what happened last time."

Kaz sat down on one of the old wooden chairs and raised the cup to his mouth, letting the tea seep into his mouth as Shirou continued.

"Toru, if you didn't remember, is my nephew. He's the son of my older brother, who I really don't have a good relationship with. Mainly, it's about the cemetery duties here and I just got these responsibilities shoved onto me. I'd rather not go into detail about that."

"The important thing is that my brother might find out sooner or later that Toru is still coming here, so when he comes up to you, I want you to deny anything you've ever heard right now. Got it?"

Kaz nodded. Shirou let out a sigh.

"Good. Well, I could also use your help with changing the flowers, so give me a hand with that too-"

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Speak of the devil", Shirou muttered under his breath as he stood up.

" _Kazuhiko, don't you find it strange that he's opening up to you all of a sudden?"_ , Tyr asked.

" _Shirou doesn't really seem to be the kind of person to share his life, so why is he doing it to you now?"_

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I'm sure he has a good reason."

"You better not be filling his head with ideas, Shirou!", an annoyed voice said at the front door.

"Geez, would ya give it a rest? I'm already tired after working and I don't need you to be yabberin' on about Toru."

Kaz stood up from the table and crept to the front door. From his angle of view, he could see a man with short black hair swept into an organized fashion and wearing worn-out glasses. Additionally, the man was wearing a suit and was standing in a perfect posture

"Is this his brother? They hardly even look related", Kaz said to himself.

" _Indeed, they look like polar opposites to be accurate"_ , Tyr interjected.

Shirou waved his hand.

"Why don't you just leave me alone, Taka? After all, you were the one who left the responsibilities to me after pa di- "

"Don't you even start! It was your fault to begin with and you should take the responsibilities!"

The man turned inside the house and noticed Kaz around the corner.

"Hey, who are you? What are you doing here so late at night?"

Shirou was about to speak, but he received a glare from his older brother that clearly stated 'back off'.

Kaz scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with an answer.

 _If I say I'm a part-timer, he'll definitely see through it; nobody would work part-time here. I can't be a family member, nor can I be a friend._

"I'm talking to you!"

"I-I was caught pulling a prank! I'm really sorry and it won't happen again!"

Kaz bowed down to Shirou quickly, leaving a stunned brother at the doorstep. Taking the opportunity, Shirou cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I was kinda busy here already. With you showin' up, I couldn't deal with this knucklehead. So if you'll excuse me, good night."

His brother stood for a few seconds, then nodded.

"I'll talk to you about this when I have the time."

He left in a huff as Shirou closed the door and let out a deep breath.

"Thanks for having my back there, kid. I guess I owe ya one now."

Kaz shook his head.

"The more pressing matter would be what would happen if he saw me here again when I help you out."

Shirou scratched the back of his neck and chuckled.

"Fair point. Oh well, I guess I should let you go now. Be safe on your way back."

Kaz nodded as Shirou opened the door from him. Before he was back onto the street, Shirou called out to him again.

"Oh, and don't say anything about that little scuffle to Toru if you see him, alright?"

"Okay. Good night, Shirou."

As Kaz walked out of the gates and onto the street, Shirou sat down onto his chair and poured himself another cup of tea. Sipping it, he relaxed for a little while as he closed his eyes.

"Damn, Taka. You just had to say that, didn't you?"

 _"..."_

"What?"

He turned around, somehow feeling an unexplained presence in the room, but saw nothing out of place. Turning back around, he stood up and walked towards a drawer. Hidden underneath a large stack of papers was an old picture frame. Shirou picked it up and stared for a while at the three smiling figures within the frame, forever captured in time.

"When did everything turn to shit?", he asked as a tear escaped from his eye.

The silence was his answer.

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **Death Arcana Lv 4**_

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaaaaand we are BACK! Hey guys! How are you all doing? Probably doing pretty fine, evidence being the massive amount of firearms pointed at me, heh heh (sweat-drops). Okay, I might as well get back on track with everything. First, I'd like to apologize for the extreme delays, I still am in school and I also recently picked up a part-time job so I have less and less time on my hands as of late. Second, let's get on with welcoming more people to the family; UltraRiderSenshiChronix, Chocman24, Bladeofdreams, and TragicNoir. If you guys were in search of a frequently on schedule updating story, you're in for a big disappointment. As for everything else, let's hope Atlus has another successful year of games, especially Catherine Full Body, Persona Q2 (which won't have the dub voice actors and we'll have to put up with Yosuke's dumb-ass voice), and the mysteriously shrouded Persona 5 R (I'm calling it out as P5 Red, just so you guys know if somebody tries to pass the idea off as their own). I can't wait to see Devil May Cry 5 come out on Friday! In your reviews, just answer what character you look forward to playing the most: Dante, Nero, or V. For me, I'm sticking with Nero, but Dante seems to be tempting as well. V, I think it's interesting and new, but I was really used to playing Devil May Cry 4 and old habits die all that being said, let's get to the omake!**_

* * *

 _Behind the Scenes; Part 2_

Johei: How about this? It looks just like your size!

Yuriko: But how will I fit my dick in that?

 _(awkward silence)_

Cast: HAHAHAHA!

"Damn, son! That's not even a trap! That's a goddamn ambush!"

*tap* *tap*

Nanako: Hm? OH MY GOD! IT'S YOU!

 _(She wraps her hands around the Reaper in a bear hug)_

Nanako: Holy crap! I thought you were gone after Persona 2, Tatsuya! Where have you been?!

 _The Reaper just awkwardly looks around while Daichi and Iselin ebb a bit further away._

Daichi: Nanako, that's not Tatsu-

The Reaper: Hey, don't ruin the moment, man! I rarely get hugs!

Taka: Hey, what are you doing here, kid?

 _(Kaz hesitated before Shirou blocks him off)_

Shirou: Look, this is just another one of my hobbies, okay?

 _(Everyone's eyes go wide after what Shirou says and bursts out laughing. Shirou just looks confused)_

Shirou: Wh-what?! What's so funny? I'm just here to discipline you, kid!

 _(Kaz starts rolling on the ground, gasping for air while Taka leans on the doorframe)_

Shirou: Isn't this in the script? I'm supposed to drag you over to my shack and give you a stern-

dangstaBOI: Okay, cut! *wheeze*

Kaz: Geez, even though I'm supposed to be a child rape victim, I can't stop laughing!

 _(Shirou's eyes go wider once he realizes what he said)_

Shirou: Wh- aw come on guys! Oh, this is really mature of you!

* * *

 ** _Updates:_**

 ** _3/7/19_**

 ** _\- Included Shirou's brother's name, Taka_**

 ** _\- Changed Social Link Death Arcana Lv from 5 to 4_**

 ** _\- Added additional "Shirou picture" scene at the end_**

 ** _-Fixed grammatical mistakes_**


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Back to the plot; The Baby… Killer Driver

 _July 21, 2021; Sunday_

 _Gymnasium; Basketball Courts_

 _(Noon)_

Kaz had finished his 100-meter sprint and decided to cool down for a bit.

"So, how was my time?"

Yoichi checked his stopwatch and smiled.

"You got 10.3 seconds this time!"

Mimir did a quick calculation before spitting out a number.

" _I calculate a 0.32 second improvement. Well done Kazuhiko."_

Kaz wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel and sat on the nearest bench while Yoichi went over some charts.

"I think this is enough practice for your legs. You'll be in ship-shape in no time!"

"What about all the exercise we do in the Mirror Dimension? Does that count?"

They both chuckled for a little while before getting back on track.

"Thanks Kaz, I think you being here helps a lot in terms of my own workout routine", Yoichi said.

For the past few hours in the morning, the two had been working out per Yoichi's request. Kaz, being a good friend with not very much to do at the time accepted his invitation. Now, they were just about ready to take to the showers.

" _Do you always keep up this routine of exercise every day?"_ , Tyr asked Mimir as the boys grabbed their bags.

" _Usually every other day; he even does this after fighting in the Mirror Dimension, although to be honest he doesn't work up much of a sweat as you do in there."_

The boys stepped into the shower rooms and talked as they went along. However, when Yoichi set down his bag, Kaz could hear him wince a little.

*SNATCH*

"Wh-OW!"

Kaz grabbed his upperclassman's hand and moved his thumb a little bit. It was already looking red just from a distance, but up close it had given off the aura that it was swelling.

"Oh crap, you overworked your hand again! I'll go get an ice pack."

Kaz dashed over to the medical center and fetched a bag of cold ice to bring back. Tyr trailed behind him, looking worried.

" _Does there seem to be any serious harm?"_

Yoichi gritted his teeth but shook his head.

"No, this usually happens. It's a little annoying, but it's necessary for helping me get stronger."

Kaz raised an eyebrow towards his senpai.

"If you're planning to use the overcompensation technique for your hands, you'll just end up getting your muscles even more damaged."

"You don't know that", Yoichi said as he took his hand from Kaz, keeping the icepack steady.

"Sure, tell that to your swollen wrist"

Kaz sat down on the bench and motioned for Yoichi to do the same.

"Look, I know that you want to get stronger, but pushing yourself much more than you should be will get you hurt even more. Just give it some time and it'll work."

" _You can run up the steps to adulthood all that you like, but you will age the same as everyone else"_

"I know, but it's just so frustrating! I can't do anything in the state that I'm in."

Yoichi dropped his head and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I mean, I know I can do something, I learned that much from my reflection, but I can't help this feeling that I should be growing."

Kaz put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down before looking him in the eyes.

"Then let's find another way you can grow. You've got a big brain in your head so let's see if we can get something out of that, huh?"

Yoichi smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah, sure"

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **Strength Arcana Level 2!**_

* * *

 _Dojima Residence_

 _(Afternoon)_

 _ **Nanako POV**_

Nanako laid down on her futon, strecthing her arms behind her head as she thought.

"An emotional trauma? There's no shortage of those in my life… "

She closed her eyes as Toyotama talked to her.

" _Maybe the time that you got kidnapped by the deliveryman? That was what caused me to be born."_

Nanako shook her head.

"It can't be that; I'm already over it and I'm friends with Mayor Namatame now. It needs to be something that still eggs me."

They stayed quiet for a little while longer until Toyotama spoke up.

" _What about_ _ **mom**_ _?"_

No answer from Nanako.

" _Hm? Nanako-neesan?"_

Nanako was resting her head onto the side and only let out a few deep breaths. Toyotama sighed happily and decided to retire for the day. She wouldn't have to wait very long; it was summer after all.

* * *

 _?_

"Hm? What's going on?"

Nanako opened her eyes to a world full of fog. She could still make out her immediate surroundings, but beyond that was nothing she could see. Standing up and brushing off the dust, she tried calling out into the fog.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE OUT THERE?"

No answer was heard, which was what she somewhat expected, but still felt dissappointed. Feeling as if there was no harm in the act, Nanako walked around on her own.

"It's like this place never ends. Where am I supposed to go now?"

As if in response to her question, a silhouette appeared out of the fog. It turned around to her, but turned right back around again.

"Wait! Can you help me?"

The figure started to walk away, completely disregarding her. Nanako gace chase but the mysterious person somehow disappeared. After stopping for a moment to catch her breath, Nanako continued walking in search for anything to help her.

"Hm? There's something over there… "

She squinted to look into the distance and noticed two lights approaching.

"Is that… a car… ?"

The car's engine started and Nanako could hear it moving towards her.

"Oh thank goodness, he's coming over here."

The headlights started to grow larger until it was only a matter of meters away from her. Usually, Nanako would feel more reassured if someone was trying to make contact with her in a foggy world, but the car didn't slow down even when she was waving her hands like crazy.

"Crap!"

She dodged to the right and the car narrowly missed her.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!", she yelled.

Then it happened; a screeching of tires, a loud thump, silence, tires screeching again, then silence. All the while, Nanako was running towards the scene to try and catch up, she caught sight of something on the ground. Cautiously approaching, her nose was filled with a metallic scent. When the sound of her steps changed, she looked down on the ground to see her shoes coated with blood.

"*gasp* wh-why is this h-h-here?"

Her eyes honed in on the body of a woman in the middle of the slowly expanding pool of crimson. Nanako quickly pressed her palms to her mouth to hide her shock, but inched closer.

"Did she get hit? Was it that car I saw?"

Deciding that it would be best to pay the woman respects, Nanako turned her over to close her eyes. That was when she realized

She recognized this face.

The face that was in the casket years ago.

The face that smiled to her when she was walking home from school.

The face of the person that she had missed the most in her entire life.

"M… M… "

" _ **MOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_ "

* * *

 _Matsuhoto Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room_

 **Kazuhiko POV**

*PIPIPIPIPIPI*

Kaz grabbed his phone and answered the incoming call.

"Hey Nanako, what's up?"

"I… I really need to talk to someone right now… could you meet me somewhere soon?"

He could here heavy breathing on the other side of the line and picked up on the urgency of the situation.

"Alright then, I'll head to you. Where are you right now?"

"I'm at my house. Please hurry."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

He hung up and grabbed his keys, all the while Tyr was following behind.

" _Did she say what was troubling her?"_

"No, but we're gonna find out soon."

After a few minutes, Kaz arrived in front of the Dojima residence to see a panicky Nanako on the porch. He took a seat next to her and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I came as fast as I could, what's wrong?"

Nanako couldn't stop shaking so he took her back inside where he set her down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Hey, how about I make you some tea to calm down, alright?"

Nanako still was shaking but nodded her head. After pouring the hot water into the cup, Kaz dropped a tea bag into in and pushed it in front of Nanako who took in the warm drink. A few more sips later, she finally calmed down a little bit to be able to talk.

"So what made you so on edge?"

Nanako took a deep breath and said "I had a really bad dream"

"It was so vivid that… that I could just sense everything around me… "

Another sip.

"I think I told you this before, but I used to have nightmares all the time when I was younger. They involved me not knowing where I was and finding my mother on the ground after she got hit."

Kaz nodded attentively.

"Yeah, but you stopped having them after a little while, didn't you?"

"I thought I did until now. I wish I knew why it's back."

They stayed silent for a little while until Kaz spoke up.

"Hey, I know this might not be the best thing to ask right now, but could you tell me everything that happened in your dream?"

Nanako started to shake a little again, but calmed down once more.

"O-okay."

She relayed the details of her dream to her friend, remembering the sickening sound of the car hitting a person and the smell of blood filling her nostrils. At the end, she needed another cup of tea to fully bring herself back to the present.

"I… I think I'm okay now", she finally said.

Kaz nodded but kept his gaze locked onto her.

"Did this ever happen to you before? When something you left in the past came back to haunt you, even though you felt you were over it?"

Kaz grew silent as he looked at the table. Nanako quickly noticed her mistake and apologized.

"It's alright. Besides, I'm here to help you right now. You shouldn't be apologizing."

Nanako sighed and said "I know, but it's something I just feel responsible for. I drag you out of your home and then bring up bad memories for you, I feel horrible."

Kaz smiled.

"Oh come on, this wasn't too bad. Remember when your plant in class died because you gave it too much water?"

"I wasn't that sad."

"The time the Loveline voice actor got hospitalized and retired?"

"Anyone who loves a show would have the same reaction."

"The time when I went on a date with another girl?"

"Wait, what? That happened?"

Kaz stifled a laugh as he let his friend fall into the trap. Said laughter only escalated when Nanako realized it and puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"But seriously, thanks for coming here bestie. It's been a while when it was just us two hanging out."

They both smiled until the front door opened.

"Nanako! I'm home! Sukima? What are you doing here?"

Kaz turned around to come face-to-face with Ryotaro Dojima, Nanako's father and a police sergeant.

"I just needed someone to talk to, dad", Nanako answered as she got out of her seat.

Kaz stood up too and bowed in his direction.

"Thank you for having me, sir. I'll be going home now that you're here", he said feeling low-key panicked.

No matter how many times he talked to Nanako's father, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of the overprotective dad wanting to gut him with a knife. Dojima, however, was a really understanding person and never meant to scare him.

"No need to call me sir, Sukima, I'm not on duty after all. Do you need me to walk you back? It's already dark."

Kaz shook his head as he excused himself.

"Take care, Nanako! You can call me again if you need to!"

 _ **Rank Up!**_

 _ **Justice Arcana Lv 2!**_

* * *

 _ **Nanako POV**_

"What were you two talking about?", Dojima asked his daughter.

As much as he trusted his daughter to stay in line, it wouldn't hurt to check in every once in a while.

Nanako hesitated then told him.

"The nightmares are back? Should I call the psychiatrist and schedule an appointment?"

She shook her head.

"No, I think I'm okay now."

Dojima nodded and put hiscoat onto the rack.

"Okay, well if they come back tell me right away. These things should be dealt with right away."

After a few minutes of settling down and getting dinner ready, Nanako spaced out for a while.

" _Is this what was bothering you?"_

Nanako tapped her foot once, indicating a yes. It was a little code they developed to have Nanako answer yes/no questions in public.

" _But I thought you were already over mom dying, weren't you?"_

One tap.

" _Then why are you having these dreams again?"_

Toyotama waited for an answer before realizing Nanako couldn't answer. She put away her bowl and went upstairs to turn in for the night. Once again, she sprawls onto her futon staring at the ceiling.

" _So why are you having these dreams?"_

Nanako still didn't answer. She just couldn't find a reason to place her finger to blame something.

"I don't know. I think I'll try to sleep on it and figure things out tomorrow."

" _Uh huh! Let's hang out with Kaz and Tyr-senpai again sometime!"_

Nanako raised her eyebrow.

"Wait, what do you mean hang out with Tyr? We can't let them know about our involvement yet."

Nanako suddenly felt a slight burning sensation in her cheeks, but when she looked in the mirror, her cheeks were fine.

"Uh, Toyotama? Is there something you want to te-"

" _Never mind! Let's just go to sleep!"_

And to sleep they went, thankfully without any dreams.

* * *

 _July 22, 2021; Monday_

 _(Afternoon)_

 _Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe_

"Alright, looks like we're all caught up with the requests. Good job guys!"

The group gave a tired cheer before going back to their drinks. Johei managed to chug his entire iced coffee in one go before setting it back down on the table and letting out an impressive belch. Mikan wrinkled her nose at the sight and smacked Johei for good measure.

"I thought that I taught you about good manners at this point!"

Johei continued to rub the spot on his head as he fumbled with his phone.

"You know, this kind of thing has become pretty manageable", Iselin stated

"I figured that there would be a lot more of the things to do, but we can actually finish them within a day or two, if it's not a major one, and still have free time."

It seemed as if they had nothing but free time on their hands during the vacation; they weren't in any kind of danger but their investigation wasn't heading anywhere. It was as if the Harbingers were keeping their hands tied until they felt like moving the next piece.

Daichi picked up the rest of his danish and split it in two. Letting Hugin and Munin eat out of his hands, he gave Kaz a worried look.

"I have to be honest with you Kaz, but I don't like this one bit. We're playing by their rules and if there is one thing that I know about Shiroe, he always has something up his sleeve."

He scooted up to Kaz and looked him straight in the eyes.

"What if this is what he wants? We've thwarted all of his attempts, but he could just be using this as a cover to get all the pieces in place."

"I've considered the possibility of that happening, but we don't have any other choice; the matter is out of our hands. Unless we find out who they are going after next, we can't proceed any further."

Iselin nudged Daichi in the ribs to accentuate his point before Kaz turned back to them.

"Well, for now, I guess this meeting is adjourned. I'll see you guys later."

Everyone waved as Kaz picked up his stuff and left the table. Iselin tugged onto Daichi's arm to get his attention.

"Can you come with me? I think we need to talk about our 'apprentice' of sorts."

They excused themselves from the table before ducking around a corner.

"So, I've been having this nagging feeling ever since we took Nanako under our wing", Iselin started.

Daichi held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't worry, I've been thinking about it too, but she's not gonna go in there without our supervision. Besides, she's taking a break for a couple of days, what's the worst that cou-"

" _Don't say it Master Daichi!"_ , Hugin said as he used his wings to cover Daichi's mouth.

Iselin rolled her eyes.

"Hildr, could you… "

" _On it."_

As the valkyrie pried the two crows off of their master, Daichi continued.

"Shiroe has his influence in the Mirror Dimension, but in the real world he would seem more conspicuous. I have confidence that Nanako would do better than to trust him."

Iselin chuckled.

"If anything, she would probably put him under arrest before we even knew about it!"

The two had a good laugh for a little while until they turned back the mood.

"So let's keep having this situation under wraps until Toyotama becomes visible", Daichi said

"Kaz might be mad for a little bit, but he'll get over it."

"Nnn, okay then. Although you'll take the brunt of the blame!"

"Wha- Why me?"

"Because you're a gentleman and gentleman always make sure that women don't get hurt, right you two?"

" _He shall always stand by you like we stand by him!"_

" _Is that a Jojo reference, brother?"_

" _God, kill me already"_ , Hildr sighed as the crows continued to make references.

* * *

 _Dojima Household_

 _(Afternoon)_

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Hey, Nanako! You home?"

Nanako opened the door to see Kaz with a plastic bag of drinks.

"I just wanted to check in on you. Everything okay?"

Nanako nodded and opened the door wider for him to come in.

"It was just a bad bout, but I'm all better now. Want to hang out for a little while?"

"Sounds good to me."

He set the plastic bag on the table and handed her a Cielo Mist. He took a Dr. Salt NEO for himself and popped off the top.

"Thanks, bestie", Nanako said as she took the can from him.

The drink really helped, especially since the weather was in record high today. However, despite the the AC being on full blast, Nanako still felt something lingering; the dream resurfacing was one thing, but having an emotional breakdown, even that didn't normally happen when she got out of therapy sessions. Kaz noticed the change in her facial expression and pressed on it.

"So what's on your mind?"

Nanako let out a light laugh.

"You know me so well. The truth is I'm not so sure."

Sitting down, she took another swig while facing her childhood friend.

"This rarely happens to me, getting the recurring dream. Somehow, I just let it get to me this time."

"I already accepted that my mother cared for me and she'll always be watching me, but I don't think that was what the dream was telling me about."

Kaz ran through the dream in his mind.

Waking up in a foggy area. Check.

Walking for a while. Check.

Finding a person and chasing after them. Check.

Having the car head towards you…

"Wait, I think I might have something."

"Really?"

Nanako leaned in towards her friend.

"This point stands a bit out, the car heading towards you. Was the driver trying to hit you in previous dreams?"

She put a finger to her chin and shook her head.

"Now that you mention it, no; the car was always zooming past me, but it never got close enough to hit me."

"Then maybe this has something to do with the driver?"

Nanako's eyes shot open and they stood silent for a little while. Kaz tried tapping her on the shoulder, but there was no response. Finally, Kaz pinched her cheeks.

"W-Ow! Hey!"

Nanako rubbed her cheeks as Kaz sat back.

"You were spacing out there for a second. Did I hit the mark?"

Nanako paused, but then shrugged out of fear that she would endure another cheek-pinch punishment.

"I don't know. I guess I was just thinking too much into it, haha!"

Kaz gave her a worried look before sighing.

"Well, would you look at the time. I should get going."

Nanako stole a glance at her phone and saw the time.

"It's not too late. Did you have something else scheduled today?"

"Yeah, I have a meet up with Daichi."

He turned back around with a coy smile on his face.

"Why do you ask? Were you hoping to spend some alone time with me?"

Nanako's face turned a violent shade of red and pushed Kaz out of her house.

"OKAY! That's enough! You don't wanna be late!"

"Ow, hey! Alright, stop shoving!"

Kaz waved goodbye as he left the front door. Nanako waved back and closed the door behind her. She let out a deep breath as she held her hand to her chest.

"Geez, he already knows that I like him, but does he have to tease me about it so much?"

" _Aww, but it was really cute Nanako-neesan! You two almost seemed like a real couple."_

"STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"

She went back to the table and sat down, immersing herself in her thoughts.

"But what he said was right; I think this might be about the driver. Who was he? Why did he run? Where is he now?"

* * *

 _(Outside)_

" _Well, what do you make of it? It can't be about her mother or the driver; maybe it's about all the recent suicides?"_

"No, it was definitely about the mysterious driver."

" _Huh?"_ , Tyr asked

" _But how do you know?"_

Kaz tapped the side of his head.

"I've known Nanako well enough to tell when she's lying. She always chuckles or laughs a little bit when she's in an uncomfortable situation."

" _I see… but why would she hide it from you?"_

"She may have her own reasons, but this contributes to my earlier theory. If my guess is right, she may play a big role in this whole mess."

Tyr nodded as they walked towards the student dorms.

" _What role do you think she'll play? Could she be the next victim?"_

Kaz shook his head.

"No, Nanako would never try to kill herself; She already overcome her depression from losing her mother. To be honest, I think her timing was just too convenient. With nee-san becoming a teacher here, Nanako may have some relation to th-"

"Hey, Kaz! Where have you been?", Daichi shouted to him.

"I've been waiting for almost half an hour."

"Ah, well let's continue later when everyone is present. I'd like to share my idea with the rest of the group and see what they think of it."

The user and Persona made a silent pact to pick up on their conversation at another time to rush in and stop two crows from trying to reenact a certain Star Platinum scene on the dorm wall.

* * *

 _ **Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Phew! That took a lot out of me. Yes, I know I am super late and it's a shorter chapter than usual, but at least I didn't leave a cliffhanger, am I right? With Masahiro Sakurai finally letting Joker into Smash, the reveal of P5S and the new P5R trailer, I have had a lot of things to think about. First, Joker is S tier, no questions needed. Second, Persona 5 is headed for the Switch! Yes! Third, the new female character is revealed to be, not just a new social link, but also a party member! Now, I know this may have punched a hole in my previous hypothesis, but I still think she is another MC. You guys know how P3P failed at having 2 MCs, right? Well, what if they were both MCs but they existed on the same plane? You choose who you would play as and the other would still be there! If anyone ever tells you this is their original idea, show them this page and you will know it is legit. Finally, you guys might wanna check out a fanfiction called "Pros and Cons" by Charles E. Quill; really good Yosuke x Chie story that really deserves some love. Hah! I can finally breathe now! Okay, here's your omake.**_

* * *

 _Costumes_

Johei: Alright, let's get that shadow!

Kazuhiko: Hold on, guys! Before we do that, there's something I need you to do.

Johei: Huh? What is it?

 _(Kazuhiko pulls something out of a bag and holds it in front of the group)_

Kaz: Put these on please.

Daichi: Um, okay? I mean, this doesn't look so bad.

 _ **Crusade Heroes Costume Set**_

Johei: Aw, hells yeah! This looks pretty badass! Gotta love the hat, though.

 _(You ever see Kaminari's medieval cosplay in MHA? That's Johei's costume)_

Daichi: I must say that you have excellent taste. This knight's getup is very elaborate. Shame it's not durable as protection.

Iselin: What I want to know is why our outfits are more, ah, revealing.

 _(Iselin was in what looked like a normal set of armor except the middle of the chest part revealed some of her breasts)_

Loki: And you never looked better.

Hildr: I'm sure that Kazuhiko has a very good reason for this. Perhaps it's for an infiltration of sorts.

Mikan: Eh, mine are actually more covered than anyone's

 _(Mikan was in a priest's outfit)_

Yoichi: Oh well, let's just get to that next shado-

Kazuhiko: Hold on guys, I've got a couple more.

 _ **Underwatch Costume Set**_

Mikan: Okay, I'm really starting to question why I got this costume. It's easy to move in but also really tight.

 _(Widowmaker costume)_

Yoichi: Whoa! This is so cool! It's like I can see everything from here! Heck, I can even see through the walls!

 _(Soldier 76 costume)_

Yuriko: The costume isn't so bad, I'm just wondering where the mecha came from.

 _( costume)_

Johei: Better question, how did we change into these clothes so fast? And why am i half-naked except for a belt of grenades?

 _(Junkrat costume)_

Yoichi: Guys, we're getting besides the point here; the shadow is getting away!

Kazuhiko: Just one more costume set, I promise guys!

Mikan: Alright, fine. Just one mo-

 _(Kaz pulls out the bath-house costume set)_

Mikan and Skadi: OH HELL NO!

Johei and Loki: OH HELL YES!

Yuriko: I… actually don't mind


End file.
